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  • Essay / The Use of Technology in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    Table of ContentsIntroductionTechnology in Fahrenheit 451Earphones and HeadsetsTelevisionFingerprint RecognitionBlood TransfusionSurveillance TechnologyConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionSociety's use of technology has a substantial effect on the world. The subject of technology is an important subject that is addressed in several well-known works, including Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury's once shunned and now famous book, Fahrenheit 451, is set in a dystopian future in which Bradbury's satirical twists suggest to readers the dangers of the future. The book foreshadows the consequences that may arise in the future due to the gradual accumulation of problems in the world. This fact makes the Fahrenheit 451 a perfect vessel for themes. One of these themes revolves heavily around the theme of technology. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayTechnologies in Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury in 1953. The book talks about the banning of books in the future so that the government must better control society. In the 1950s, their technologies were limited compared to the technologies we have invented today. However, Bradbury had a vivid imagination. He created technologies in Fahrenheit that we use today and he created technologies that even we don't have today in 2014. Bradbury uses technologies similar to headphones and headsets, Skype, blood transfusions, fingerprint recognition and even government technology used for environmental surveillance. Country use of technology. Headphones and Headphones Throughout Fahrenheit 451, there is a strong indication that headphones are used by many different people. Mildred uses something called Seashell Radio when she falls asleep. It is described as an in-ear earphone that plays electronic wave sounds so she can sleep more easily. It reminded me of one of those machines that plays sound to help someone fall asleep. Mildred had hers in the form of headphones they called seashell radios. A second use of in-ear technology is what they called the Green Bullet. The Green Ball allowed Montag and the old man to listen and “analyze the world of firefighters” (Bradbury 72). This spying tactic can be considered inappropriate access. Inappropriate access is defined by Yang as “data about individuals [that is] easily accessible to persons who are not duly authorized to view or work with that data” (Holster, 2014). Due to Montag's change in character, he is seen as a person who has no right to know why firefighters do their jobs. Mildred's seashell radio is very similar to the wireless headphones we have today. Headphones were invented in the early 1900s and were only available in behind-the-ear form. Keep in mind that the book was written in 1953. By 2001, in-ear headphones came into play. By 2012, wireless headphones had been invented. Compared to the types of headphones available in the early 1900s, headphones developed today are more advanced and come in many styles and brands. When comparing Mildred's headphones to today's headphones, it's obvious that the two devices are pretty much identical. Mildred's, however, appear to be used solely as a sleeping pill. Headphones are today used forsleeping pills, listening to music and even talking on the phone. After further studying the invention of in-ear devices and Bluetooth devices, it was discovered that they invented Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth headphones are an in-ear device that connects the two headphones together through a piece of wire or plastic that sits on the ear and wraps around the back of the head. Montag's Green Bullet is also similar to Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless communication device invented in 1994. The Bluetooth device has a part that fits into the ear. Montag and the old man use this Bluetooth device to spy on the firefighters. Montag and the old man began to question the firefighters' motives and sparked curiosity about the books and what was in them. The start of the arms race caused great distrust and anxiety among Americans. According to Cullip, a professor at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, "the Soviet Union was able to test its own atomic device, which aroused massive suspicion in the United States." This underlying fear inspired Bradbury to create a device that allowed Montag and the old man to keep a close eye on the firefighters. The firefighters, in this case, represent the Soviet Union and the fear they created among Americans. Firefighters instill a sense of fear among all the book-loving citizens of this town. They therefore present a matrix of domination “meaning that the particular configuration of race, class and gender relations in society is such that together they establish an interlocking system of domination” (Holster, 2014). TelevisionOne government tactic to keep people away from books is the complex use of television. In Montag and Mildred's living room, they have a television with what Bradbury calls the Spot-Wavex jammer. Essentially, the Spot-Wavex jammer allows the TV announcer to respond to the person watching. This makes watching TV more personal and helps people stay interested in TV rather than letting their minds become curious about books. This technological device reminded me of an app we call Skype today. Skype is the brand name of a technological invention that allows people to communicate through a screen similar to the Spot-Wavex jammer. Even though Skype is primarily used through a computer, there are TVs that support Skype. Skype was invented in 2003, 50 years after the book was written. The video chat idea has notable improvements over Bradbury's initial creation. In Bradbury's version, it only allows one-on-one contact via the screen. With companies like Skype, there is now a way to add multiple users to a call. Television was a relatively new technology introduced in the early 1950s and "by 1951, 1.5 million television sets were sold in the United States, ten times what they were in 1950" (Cullip). Bradbury was influenced by all the excitement surrounding television. This contributed to his invention of a television that responds to the viewer.Fingerprint RecognitionInstead of having a lock and key for his front door, Montag has a glove that he inserts his hand into. The glove recognizes his hand and unlocks the door for him. This is very similar to a technology found in many touchscreen items called fingerprint recognition. Fingerprint recognition allows someone to press their finger or thumb against the screen and the machine will recognize the fingerprint. This technological advance is found on iPhones and certain computersand tablets. For many, fingerprint recognition is considered the most secure method of keeping a device locked and personal information confidential. Fingerprint recognition was built into devices in the 1960s for use by the FBI. By the 1980s, the FBI had begun improving fingerprint recognition technology. Even today, there are no gloves that connect to entry doors to replace a lock and key. Bradbury's invention of a glove lock is considered a solid security technique. This fear of unsafety stems from the fear and panic that the Soviet Union created in the 1950s. Blood Transfusion When Mildred accidentally, or so she claims, overdoses on sleeping pills, Montag takes him to the paramedics who use a machine that removes everything. his blood and replaces it with new blood. This machine is a bit like a blood transfusion or gastric aspiration. Blood transfusions are defined as the transfer of blood from one individual to another in the event of excessive blood loss following surgery or serious injury, while gastric aspiration is a process that empties the contents of the blood. stomach and is designed to remove toxins from the stomach in the event of a suicide attempt following an overdose of pills such as Mildred's. Blood transfusion was invented in the 1760s. However, there is currently no way for doctors and paramedics to remove all of a person's blood and replace it with entirely new blood. Blood transfusions only add blood to the body instead of removing and replacing it all. The idea of ​​the Bradbury machine is much better than a blood transfusion. Blood transfusions carry risks. Blood donated to a patient could be rejected by the body. With Bradbury's idea, the body is drained of all its blood and then completely replaced. This method eliminates the risk of blood rejection. However, in Bradbury's Fahrenheit world, there is a strong sense of technological rationality. Technological rationality is defined as the idea that “all problems are considered manageable with technical solutions” (Holster, 2014). It appears that medically, environmentally, socially, and politically, all the problems related to Fahrenheit 451 can be solved by technology. Surveillance Technology The Hound is a very large robotic dog that firefighters use to locate books hidden in homes residents. Currently, the United States government does not have a hunting dog. However, the government has the technology to monitor society's use of technology, particularly the Internet. The Internet was only invented in 1962. The Dog symbolizes the government monitoring people through technology. In the book, the Dog is described as this cold, emotionless machine who is solely dedicated to finding books to destroy. Bradbury predicts that government surveillance will have a negative impact on society. Bradbury's opinion can be challenged on both sides. Constant government surveillance of society's Internet use can be considered an invasion of privacy. Privacy is defined as a spatialized right to solitude or an information right to confidentiality (Holster, 2014). Bradbury feared that constant government surveillance would ultimately lead to a society totally dependent on and brainwashed by the government. However, government surveillance of the Internet can be considered/