Many works of literature present seemingly innocent scenarios and present plots in a way that pleases societal standards and expectations. This sense of a tidy storyline completely disappears when the psychology behind a work is examined. Looking at the psychology behind a novel is all the more revealing when the work is of the science fiction and dystopian genre, such as Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The novel revolves around a fireman, Guy Montag, and his beliefs and roles in a futuristic society. Bradbury’s piece can serve as the basis to examine many facets of literary psychological criticism, including both the intended and unintended effects of subtle brainwashing on the general public, the emotional psychology behind acts of rebellion, and perhaps most forefront to the entire novel, the progression of Montag’s mental state of wellbeing as the novel progresses. The work focuses on Montag’s viewpoints so much so that his thoughts are truly the only completely known perspective. So, his character contains all the key aspects and depths necessary to study how the human psyche reacts and why it reacts in certain ways. Bradbury also includes symbols throughout his work, such as fire and the concept of darkness and the hidden, that showcase the psychology behind the characters’ actions and driving points in the novel.
Bradbury’s work begins with a description of the setting: a futuristic world where firemen start fires, not stop them, and books are burned simply because they are extremely confusing to the general public and cause much unhappiness (2). The firemen are one of the greatest examples of proponents of the continuous effects of brainwashing because they are the ones essentially destroying the public’s capability to think, learn, and react for themselves. When those abilities are stricken, there has to be a consideration of the mass mindset present in a group of people. Mass group thinking leads to people “[becoming] simpler” ( 51). Montag is the odd one out throughout the entire work because the supporting characters do not wish to be anything more than ‘happy’. This attitude of settling lends itself to a discussion of how brainwashing works: Beatty, a fellow fireman and superior to Montag, claims that the public is “out of the nursery, into the college, and back to the nursery” (52). The passage of time represented in that statement recognizes mankind’s psychological attitude towards being complacent.
Ultimately, the background and secondary characters are only satisfied with the lifestyle in which they live because it is so comforting to the point that no original thoughts are necessary. The majority of the townspeople outright refuse to even attempt to think for themselves, thus effectively demonstrating both the downfall of individual psychological motivations and the successful implementation of mass psychological ideals. Scott Sanders, in his article “Invisible Men and Women: The Disappearance of Character in Science Fiction,” makes note of this sense of group identity and group driving forces as opposed to having clear distinctions between characters and personal internal motives. There is a large amount of “conformity, homogeneity, loss of identity” as Scott Sanders mentions these qualities, these “obsessive fears” (16). The general public can be considered as having a sheep-like faith because they truly think in a hive-like mentality focused on only the most frivolous of things. Peter Barry’s work Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory discusses principals such as Sigmund Freud’s model of psyche, with elements such as the id (98). The ultimate goal of the group in Fahrenheit 451’s collective id is simplicity, and it goes beyond an average yearning to take joy and pride in the simple things. They work as a unit. The brainwashers represent an effort to control the public, and control is often seen as essentially a power trip. Their collective goal is control, and that is achieved, but they also dumb down the public, almost near to the point of a modern Dark Ages.
Another key factor in psychologically analyzing Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is the inner workings of the concept of rebellion. As opposed to the herd-like mentality previously discussed, rebellion calls for unique thinking, but a successful rebellion also needs collaboration. Montag is indeed the main rebel in the novel; however, he would not have even considered rebelling had it not been for a young girl, Clarisse McClellan, showing him the light and error of their world’s ways. Clarisse questions everything and disapproves of the fast-paced, dim-witted society, but she goes as far as to tell Montag that he is “not like the others… [and] the others would never do that” (21). Montag only begins to truly look inward to himself when he feels someone has set him apart from the mob. By doing so, he serves as a thorough example of man’s likelihood of only acting when given appreciation or praise. Although, this sense of conditioning is not the only cause for Montag’s behavior. At his core, Montag is different from the other characters in that he still knows how to think for himself. His ability to do so greatly increases throughout the novel, and it is what sets him apart from the general public.
The public, as previously mentioned, is content to be superficially happy. The psychology behind a rebellion of any sort, be it emotional, physical, or spiritual, requires action. Rebellion itself hinges on the attempts of man to challenge norms, and Montag’s wife, Mildred, is the perfect example of outright refusal to challenge anything, as she, like the rest of society, chooses to block out any opportunity for real, meaningful human connections by keeping “in her ears the little Seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight” (10). Rebellion requires communication, and the background characters in Fahrenheit 451 clearly rebuke interconnectedness. They do not welcome the opportunity to be connected enough to openly rebel against anything. Their internal drives are stalled and not likely to restart. Once they have been isolated in their own, simple minds for such an amount of time, there is no fire within them to match the raging fires that plague their world and society.
To conclude with an examination of individual and group motivations and inward psychology, Montag himself serves as a sound example of a dynamic character on the cusp of a psychological and self-awareness breakthrough. At the novel’s beginning, Montag enjoys living a life of psychological passivity. In his article, “Climate for Cloning: Classroom, Fahrenheit 451°,” Thomas E. Sanders remarks on this theory of nothingness and lack of interest in challenging life: “they’ll assume disinterest in their lost heritage” (24). A link to Freud’s theory of the human psyche is evidenced by Montag’s having no internal drive. His id and ego have no passion. However, as the novel progresses, there is a distinct shift, as if the lights have recently been replaced or batteries have been recharged. He has an epiphany and realizes that the society in which he lives in activity promotes there being “nothing to tease your conscience later” (Bradbury 34). He truly begins to have a reason to live.
This sense of purpose is key in looking at the novel and the story it portrays in a psychological sense because intrinsic motivation is a huge catalyst in causing change. Montag has a conscious awakening and realizes that “he wore his happiness like a mask” (9). In this society, there is no room for critical thinking, let alone examining true psychological progression. About halfway through the novel, Montag remarks that “the numbness will go away … [i]t’ll take time” (74). Their society is so emotionless that there are no raw, primal feelings. By the conclusion of the novel, Montag is fully reformed psychologically and recalls the life he previously lived and his wife’s “wildly empty face” (152). His entire journey from a mindless sheep to an aware hero represents man’s psychological ability to recover from states of both chosen ignorance and forced ignorance.
Analyzing and criticizing literature using a psychological method requires looking at the use of literary devices, including symbols and images present in the text. One of the main symbols throughout Fahrenheit 451 is the fire. In literature, fire is known to be a representation of change. In connection with fire, a cohort of Montag’s, a fellow rebel named Granger, notes that society must be like a phoenix (156). Looking psychologically at the idea of a phoenix, it shows that man’s inner thoughts and inner workings must be recreated from the ashes. Montag’s rule-following boss Beatty is ultimately burned, and his ashes inspire Montag to continue on with his acts of rebellion (113). As Peter Sisario points out in his article “A Study of the Allusions in Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,’” Montag experiences “a rebirth to a new intel-lectual life” (202). The idea of shedding a past skin or a past life is very common in psychological analysis. In somewhat of an opposition to the fire and enlightenment, there is an overwhelming presence of the darkness and what is hidden by shaded times. When Montag is first approached by Clarisse, it is dark (3). Their conversations center around unspoken topics, so it is fitting that the world is dark during this time. People and characters alike suppress the unheard of and the ‘taboo’ parts of themselves, and in this sense, the image of the darkness represents a suppression of the early stages of enlightenment, rebellion, and rebirth.
As a whole, Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 provides ample opportunity to acutely examine and dissect the unique experiences faced by the characters in the novel. Looking closely at the distinct ways control affects populations, the way the public reacts to the strides of overpowering control, attempts at rebellion, and a main character’s personal experiences throughout the novel showcases the variety of psychological and literary lenses applicable to the work itself. Bradbury writes a compelling novel capable of causing both his characters and critics to question reality and the status quo.
Works Cited
Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester
University Press. 2017. 4th ed.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. 2018. Originally published by
Ballatine Books paperback edition 1953.
Sanders, Scott. “Invisible Men and Women: The Disappearance of Character in Science Fiction.”
Science Fiction Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, Mar. 1977, pp. 14-24, JSTOR, doi: 4239063.
Sanders, Thomas E. “Climate for Cloning: Classroom, Fahrenheit 451°.” College Composition
and Communication, vol. 25, no. 1, Feb. 1974, pp. 22-29, JSTOR, doi: 357229.
Sisario, Peter. “A Study of the Allusions in Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451.’” The English Journal, vol. 59, no. 2, Feb. 1970, pp. 201–05, 212, JSTOR, doi: 811827.
Riley Sutton is from Williamsburg, Kentucky. She is a Secondary Education major with an emphasis in English with an additional certification in Middle School Education. She is also the president of Sigma Tau Delta.
Pensworth 