International Journal of Language & Literature

Postmodern Dystopian Fiction: An Analysis of Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’
Maria Anwar

Abstract
Postmodernism as a literary movement is said to have started after the WWII, when man lost all hope in the so-called scientific progress and advancement, because of the range of destruction it caused in the form of the World Wars. Relentless slaughter of human lives and psychological trauma left the people in a state of constant fear and distress. Bradbury in his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 explores the destructive side of technology and dictatorship, which can deprive people of a normal life and basic freedom. T.V is also one of the mediums through which we are psychologically conditioned into thinking in particular ways; it has also created emotional distance among families. Global surveillance has made most of the world paranoid about internet and technological gadgets, which are nothing more than spyware for those in power. Bradbury in this novel describes how books can take us back to a civilized time, and that letting people not read is one of the worst crimes in history.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijll.v4n1a29