Comparing a Dark Future: 1984 and Fahrenheit 451

When discussing the topic of censorship by government in the future, one would most likely reference the two novels 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Both of these novels were written at about the same time and examine similar topics. They also share many common themes and even have similarities between the writing styles. It is much easier to compare these two novels than it is to contrast them. These two books express each authors' fear of the unknown future and each deliver political statements that have held true from the time the books were originally published during the 1950's until now.

One of the most important themes that occurs in both novels is that of alienation and isolation, which is best shown through the main character of each novel. In 1984, the main character Winston is shown as one who does not quite fit in with the rest of his society. He has a continuous feeling in the back of his head that life as he knows it is not what it should be and begins writing in a journal about his thoughts, which is strictly illegal, "…Winston saw that he had left the diary open on the table. 'DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER' was written all over it…" (Orwell, 20)

The society that Winston lives in is governed by the Inner Party, and ultimately by a figure referred to as Big Brother. No members of the society are allowed to speak out, or even think out against the government. Every house, building, street, and public place has something called a telescreen, which constantly monitors the people and each of their actions, speech, and even expressions. If a person even appears to have a different thought than what they are mandated by Big Brother to have, this person will be arrested by the Thought Police and eventually vaporized. "Winston kept his back to the telescreen. It was safer; though, as he knew, even a back can be revealing." (3)

Winston is not comfortable with the way Big Brother operates, yet is forced to keep his opinion strictly to himself. If he were to let on to anyone even the slightest rebellious or questioning opinion, the person would turn him in. Winston therefore is completely isolated, even though he is forced to interact with other people all day at work and after work in the volunteer associations. The paradox of this is that all people in this society are in fact isolated, yet each person spends as little time as possible by themselves. No one can is ever given the chance to think or talk for themselves, instead everyone repeats what Big Brother wants them to talk about, and is too busy talking mindlessly to other people to think for themselves.

In a similar sense, Guy Montag, the main character of Fahrenheit 451, also represents the theme of isolation and alienation. Guy's occupation is that of a fireman, but instead of putting out fires he sets fire to houses that contain books. "While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning." (Bradbury 3-4) In the society in which Guy lives books are banned from owning or reading. Guy has a similar feeling to Winston's, in that he is unsure and questioning of his society. Guy is fairly well off financially, has a wife, and has friends as co-workers, yet is also very isolated. Everything that the government encourages the people to do while at work and away from it acts to distract the people from thinking too much or needing too much.

People drive fast cars and watch mindless television in the majority of their free time. They feel comforted by these excuses for social interaction, yet are in fact completely isolated from one another. "How did you get so empty? he wondered. Who takes it out of you?" (44) Guy attempts to talk to his wife about what he is concerned with, yet is met with a blank reaction and an uncaring for anything except the TV. Guy realizes his isolation when even his wife, the closest person to him, cares more about the TV characters that she watches everyday, which she calls her family, than him.

Both authors are emphasizing the theme of isolation through the isolation of the people through technology and fear. Much of the isolation depicted in Fahrenheit 451 can be seen in a sense today with the rise of technology. Many people remain in their houses for the majority of their day, watching TV, and when they are not at home they are driving in fast cars isolated from the thousands of other people next to them in their own fast cars. "There are billions of us and that's too many. Nobody knows anyone." (16) Even when people are at work they no longer feel the need to make real friends, communication is often times fake, just as in 1984.

Another very important theme that both novels share in common is the destruction of human values that occurs in both books. To start off in 1984, there are almost no human values left in most of the people of the society, and this is exactly how Big Brother likes it. Children are trained to accuse and report their own parents of thought crime if they suspect their parents of anything. "Within two years those children would be denouncing her to the Thought Police.

Mrs. Parsons would be vaporized." (Orwell 61) Absolute lies told from the government are considered normal, although the people don't even realize this, but the constant lying shows evidence of a destruction of human values. People truly enjoy watching executions of their peers and take part in an exercise of a two minute hate everyday. " 'It was a good hanging,' said Syme reminiscently. 'I think it spoils it when they tie their feet together.' " (49) Orwell is showing how much can go wrong when so much power is placed in the hands of a totalitarian government such as Big Brother.

The destruction of human values is also very apparent in Fahrenheit 451. Teenagers kill each other for fun, whether accidentally or on purpose. " 'I'm afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always used to be that way?' " (Bradbury 30) Members of the society do not have any feelings or emotions for one another. Real communication between humans is cut to a bare minimum, which is a clear example that the destruction of human values that has occurred. People in the society are much more interested with the fictional events that are shown on TV than any cause or concern in real life. "No matter when he came in, the walls were always talking to Mildred." (44) This bares quite a resemblance to many of the people from today's American society.

Despite sharing many similar themes and main points in their novels, the two authors come from different backgrounds. George Orwell was actually born in India and came to live most of his life in England. He was a very good student in high school, but did not go on to college. He was most known for his political essays, reviews, and columns in newspapers and magazines. His political beliefs were on the left, but he was a staunch anti- Stalinist. He also hated imperialism, which he learned when he was a member of the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. 1984 was written as an anti- Stalinist book, yet was also written to go further into Orwell's beliefs than to simply show that Stalinism was bad ("George Orwell").

Ray Bradbury was born in Illinois and lived most of his childhood in Los Angeles. Bradbury began writing in his youth and often read at Carnegie Library. He graduated from high school but decided not to attend college. He began writing science fiction short stories while taking other jobs to make him enough money to survive on. He became a full-time writer by 1942. Bradbury claims the only science fiction he has ever done was Fahrenheit 451 because it is the only story that can come true in the future, which is what science fiction is supposed to depict.

All the other stories that other people call science fiction he calls fantasy, because they depict what is not real. Bradbury has been awarded numerous awards for writing over his lifetime, such as the World Fantasy Award and the Stoker Award for life achievement. Bradbury and Orwell have some similarities as well as differences in their backgrounds, as well as in their writing style ("Ray Bradbury").

Both novels contain sentences that can be long and descriptive, although Fahrenheit 451 tends to have a little better imagery, "…His eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black." (Bradbury 3) The vocabulary of 1984 is more challenging, as is this book as a whole to read. Orwell invents many of the words and terms that are used in the book, such as newspeak, Big Brother, and telescreen. " 'There is a word in newspeak,' said Syme." (Orwell 55) Both authors go into a great deal of detail in the novels, which better allows the reader to understand what is going on and get immersed in the book.

Both books are told from a third person omniscient point of view; the narrator allows the reader to see into the main character's mind. What makes these two novels such literary classics is the fact that each novel discusses very important and relevant issues and also displays an amazing style of writing and choice of words by each author.

In a world with technology increases at such a fast pace, the books 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 are just as relevant as ever. Much of what is depicted in Fahrenheit 451 has come true or at least has come close to coming true in modern society. The most important aspect of reading books such as these is to realize the importance of not letting a government become too powerful and not letting a society slip so far away from actually being social, which is a problem today. 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 have been and will continue to be two of the most relevant and entertaining science fiction books to have ever been written.