Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Vision of a bright future held by humanity was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the novels 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, clear opposition to these subtle barriers was voiced. These books established the atmosphere and seductiveness of “utopia” and fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of his inability to conform.
The characters struggle to hide this fact from the state’s relentless supervision. This struggle leads them to eventual conflict with some hand of the state, which serves as the author’s voice presenting the reader with the ‘absurdity’ of the principles on which the society is based. The similar fear of the state’s abuse of power and technology at the expense of human individuality present within these novels speaks to the relevance of these novels within their historical context and their usefulness for awakening people to the horrendous consequences of their ignorance.
In these novels the main characters are, or become, unable to conform to the society’s standards. These characters represent the authors’ view of the ‘utopia’ as they see it with the veil of ignorance removed. In 1984, we start out with a character, Winston, who is constantly observing the ironies of the world about him. Through his job at the ministry of truth, he becomes a hand of the state, creating fiction to support its endeavors, “Comrade Ogilvy, unimagined an hour ago, was now a fact. he would exist just as authentically as Charlemagne and Julius Caesar. 1984, 54)
As the book progresses he becomes more aware of his individuality and eventually is unable to hide it. Similarly in Fahrenheit 451, Montag becomes aware of problems with his society, but not logically – emotionally. He is deeply disturbed when a medical team that helps his wife appear and disappear within a matter of minutes: “There are too many of us, he thought. There are billions of us and that’s too many. Nobody knows anyone. ” (Fahrenheit 451, 14) He becomes further agitated when a casual encounter with an ‘antisocial’ youth, who is normal by our standards, asks him if he is truly happy.
When these and other questions weigh upon his mind he begins to realize that something is fundamentally wrong with the world he is living in. The characters’ struggles to hide their newly found individuality is a futile one. In Orwell’s interpretation of the totalitarian state of 1984, the societies are technically and urbanly engineered to spy on and perceive people’s very thoughts. The society justifies these invasions by eliminating the importance of the individual.
The constant barrage of information regarding the greatness of the state and Big Brother’s supremacy over the common man forces everyone (in good mental health) to accept these as the only unchanging facts. Any deviation from these beliefs would be immediately noticeable, and almost impossible to hide. These divergences are what Orwell feared, from experience. After the world wars he surely couldn’t help but realize the extent to which the public had been vehemently directed against the ‘ultimate enemy’ and the common propaganda techniques of getting the public to seek out spies amongst themselves.
When individuality itself becomes the crime the horrifying dystopia ensues. Fahrenheit 451 accomplished a similar effect as Montag struggled to hide his guilt over the fact that he possessed books, which were illegal. His incrimination seems imminent as he notices many subtleties that suggest the authorities are onto him. These implications are especially apparent as he is complaining about the mechanical hound threatening him at the station – then makes the possible connection. “Montag stood thinking of the ventilator grille at home and what lay behind the grille.
If someone here in the fire house knew about the ventilator then mightn’t they ‘tell’ the Hound? ” (Fahrenheit 451, 25) As in 1984, this novel attempts to instill in the reader a sincere fear of the loss of their individual freedoms as well as the ability of such a technologically advanced society to find deviants. Eventually all the alienated characters come before some prophesizing hand of the government who is ready to rationalize the right and duty of the government to possess such control over its people.
In 1984 this is during the torture of Winston for his crime of not loving Big Brother. Orwell then reveals the horrors of an advanced dystopia through O’brien such as the death of the individual, “Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind. only in the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal. ” (1984, 261) As well he goes into great depth as to the advancement of the party’s strategy against its enemies, “We do not merely destroy our enemies, we change them. 1984, 265)
Beatty, the fire chief in Fahrenheit 451 discovers Montag’s affinity for books. As a result, he explains that books were made illegal because they always offend somebody. The new society, as he explains, allows all people, rich and poor, stupid and smart to “get a sense of motion without moving” (Fahrenheit 451, 56) In this sense, the diversion of otherwise competent people into useless tasks and past times is the particular concern and fear of the author.
The prime directive of all these ‘utopias’ is to pacify their public and either thrill them with the collective being of a nation, or sedate them with excitement and drugs. The authors of these novels saw the ‘utopian’ societies to be a trap for weak-minded publics, and that once in place, such systems would be able to perpetuate indefinitely due to the efficiency at which they protect and propagate themselves.
Through fear, diversion and sedation the utopia can maintain a strong grip on the people it encompasses before anyone realizes the sacrifices made. The popularity of these books does rule out the possibility of such a society coming into existence in the future, however. The state of people is not about to change, and their ignorance will continue regardless of the harshness of the wake up calls issued.
