Grace

Fried
3/12/15
3rd

Fahrenheit 451 Formative Essay

I have no faith in human perfectibility. I think that human exertion will have

no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy
- nor more wise, than he was 6,000 years ago.
~ Edgar Allen Poe
This quote states that man is more active, but not more happy, These are two
important issues that relate to everyone in todays society. People are consistently
working harder, enjoying less free time, and consequently, becoming less happy. In
the futuristic book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, these problems affect the
characters as well. In the book, people are depressed and have no time to pursue
leisurely activities. Our own society is dealing with the same issues, and is rapidly
approaching the same severity of the society in Fahrenheit 451. Because these issues
are detrimental to both societies, they need to be noticed and addressed.
The first issue is that in both societies, there is a high suicide rate, people
with depression, and people that are generally unhappy. We know that this is a
problem in the novel because of the numerous quotes that discuss depression and
suicide. Early in the story, Mildred takes too many sleeping pills (whether it was an
accident or suicide attempt is up to interpretation). Men come with a stomach pump
and new blood to save Mildreds life, and they tell Montag, we get these cases nine
or ten a night [p. 6] and someone else just jumped off the cap of a pill box [p. 7].
Later in the book, Mildred and her friends are talking, and one of them says, killed
jumping off buildings, yes, like Glorias husband last week [p. 42]. These quotes

Fried, Grace

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 10:08:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:fb:53

show that suicide and depression are key themes, and seem like comfortable topics
for the characters because they are so used to them. In my own life, I deal with the
stress of school and sports, and often this can cause me to feel unhappy. Many
people in our own society, if not depressed or suicidal, are unhappy. This could be
caused by many things, and it depends on the situation of the individual. However,
this could be prevented by having some pressure relieving activities, or simply
having someone to talk to. I will make my best effort to have meaningful
conversations with friends and family, and let them feel valued and heard. This will
help other people, as well as myself, because they will feel like they have more of a
purpose, and have something to look forward to.
The second issue in both societies is that people have very little time for
leisurely activities. In the book, Clarisse represents a character that would be
considered somewhat normal in our society, but in conversations with other
characters, there is a contrast, and she seems like the odd one out. When Montag
talks to her, it really opens his eyes to how he never takes walks in nature, tastes
rain, or picks dandelions. In one of their conversations, Clarisse says, The rain feels
good. I love to walk in it. Montag replies with, I dont think Id like that, and
Clarisse says, You might if you tried. Then Montag admits, I never have. This
shows that the characters are inexperienced with these seemingly common
activities (especially ones tied to nature), and dont have time to try simple things
such as walking in the rain. Many people, including myself, can relate to the feeling
of stress from overscheduling, and not having time to pursue activities of choice. A
good solution would be to allocate time for relaxation. I can put this solution into
place by figuring out a time slot that works and using it to do something that I find

Fried, Grace

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 10:08:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:fb:53

relaxing or fulfilling. This is a simple solution, and even though it might not solve
the whole problem, it will make the most out of the free time that I do have. This will
improve quality of life because people will be more satisfied with the time free time
that they do have.
These issues affect the majority of the people in Fahrenheit 451, as well as
our current society. Now that I have these solutions in my own life, I can make a
change in myself, and the people around me. This will make my life better by
allowing me to help others by having deep conversations with them, and I can better
enjoy the free time I have. These issues are important to discuss, because Fahrenheit
451 was written more than 60 years ago, and it portrays a prediction of a future
society. Our society is already on its way towards the one in the book, and we need
to recognize these issues and problems before we hit rock bottom.

Fried, Grace

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 10:08:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:fb:53