In my opinion Fahrenheit 451 is a quite realistic science fiction novel.
In the book a high amount of TV and other media consumption is shown. Especially Mildred is a good example of control which media have in this book. This is comparable to the real world because the internet dominates a lot of people. In contrast to that Bradbury delivers a picture of a lack of individual freedom. This is unrealistic because nowadays there is still more individual freedom and independence than in the novel. But the control of personal data and spying is a problem of our actual society. The government and some big companies try to spy out their employers. In opposite of this our current education system supports individuality. Other arguments for a realistic story are the pollution and destruction of nature. This has been a quite actual topic for a lot of years and a problem for the next hundreds of years. Otherwise books and literature are very strong and nowadays a free info flow exists provided by the media. But Bradbury shows omnipresent advertising which manipulates people. This is rather realistic because every movie and every TV show has a lot of commercial breaks. In the novel Bradbury describes the fire brigade as people who burn books. This is an unrealistic fact because the fire brigade helps people and the current government is rather democratic and human. But the burning of books is not unrealistic at all. It is comparable to the book burning of the Nazi regime.
In conclusion I would like to say that the science fiction novel Fahrenheit 451 is rather realistic, but with some exceptions.

Comment from: Schubert [Visitor]
In my opinion the novel Fahrenheit 451 is rather realistic future scenario because some of the aspects in this science fiction story are more or less already true today, for example the high amount of media cosumption, especially TV. Another aspect is the spying and control of personal data. There is also the massive increase of traffic, pollution and the destruction of nature, which is also a problem of today. In the novel people have no chance to escape from advertising and the resulting manipulation. The large amount of commercials is today reality as well as the manipulation that comes with it. Alienation, annonymity, isolation and superficiality are also a problem of society today. The number of singles increases more and more. Another problem that is not only existent in the book is that it is normal in our society to take drugs like antidepressants, painkillers and tranquilizers. At last the novel tells us about book burnings which really happened in the 1930s during the NS-regime. But there are also a few unrealistic aspects in this story. Today people still have more individual freedom and are more independence than in the novel. The education system supports individuality. Today there is no prohibition of literature and even many critical media exist. Also the government is rather democratic and human. At last the superficiality isn't that big so that love and feelings still exist. So all in all I can say that the novel Fahrenheit 451 is a rather realistic science fiction story, but with some exceptions.

Comment from: Fiedler [Visitor]
In my opinion the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a rather realistic scenario of the future, because some of the fictional aspects, which are fictionalized in the novel, are also a realistic part of our present.
When we have a closer look at some aspects and details in "Fahrenheit 451", you can see that there are many aspects you can also find in our present life and which play an important role with regard to the future.
The first point I would like to mention is the high amount of TV and other media consumption that have a big influence on people's minds and actions. Another point is the control and spying of personal data we find in our life and that will be also revealed in the media. There is also the increase of traffic, air pollution and the destruction of nature which is a big problem of today.
Also in our life today, we can find alienation, anonymity and isolation. Most persons want to live for themselves and need no society of others. The community of singles is growing more and more. It shows that there is a high amount of isolation. Another point is the consumption of drugs like painkillers, tranquilizers and antidepressants.
They are used by a high quantity of people to forget their thoughts and to sedate their minds. Another realistic point you can find in the novel and in our history is the burning of books. This is (was) an action to destroy the free will of the people.
All in all I would say that the novel "Fahrenheit 451" is a rather realistic fictional extrapolation of present problems into the future, with some exceptions.

Comment from: a.gerlach [Visitor]
Evaluate the view that `Fahrenheit 451is a realistic extrapolation of present problems into the future which is written to warn against their possibly dire consequences.The author shows present problems like media consumption in a futuristic world. Ray Bradbury stresses the fiction of a modern utopia. In my view this is a realistic extrapolation of present problems into the future because of several issues in the novel. To begin with, there are the description of pollution and destruction of nature. This draws a parallel to the damage of nature nowadays. Besides that Bradbury points out the anonymity and isolation of human beings. I would say that the author looks ahead, because these are problems of the contemporary world. He describes a materialistic world. Let me give an example of this. Guy Montag´s wife Mildred lives in an absolute faith in the administration of the government of the society of "Fahrrenheit 451". Moreover she doesn´t realize the results of total control. She behaves superficially towards her husband. It´s also a realistic allusion to present the separation of people. When we have a closer look at the internal conflict of Guy Montag we see a man who´s convinced of doing the right thing until he meets a girl named Clarisse. She touches him inside by her childishness and independence. To my mind that shows a transformation from a superficial fireman who´s burning books to a reflecting personality. In connection with the topic of censorship and public manhunt Bradbury´s novel stresses strong references to the present days in several countries. For example such things have happened in Russia over the last few years. Another argument is the control of personal data. It´s quite realistic because of the use of chipcards for health insurance in Germany. Thus, I have come to the conclusion that `Fahrenheit 451` shows a realistic extrapolation of present problems into the future. It is a strong warning.

Comment from: Brandt [Visitor]
In my opinion Fahrenheit 451 is a realistic extrapolation of present problems into the future. One reason is the high amount of TV and other media consumption. Today every family has a TV and Internet. Another argument is the control of personal data. Another reason for the realistic extrapolation of present problems is the usage of drugs e.g. painkillers, tranquilizers and antidepressants. Today it is normal to take drugs when someone has problems in any way. The next point I would like to mention is the destruction of nature and the pollution. Both are present problems. Another reason for the realistic extrapolation of present problems is the book burning of the Nazis. They burned millions of books and the books they did not burn were written by Nazis and they were very manipulative. Another argument is the atomic war. After the second World War the Cold War between USA and USSR began, both armed with atomic bombs. This was and still is a realistic fear.

In my opinion Fahrenheit 451 is a realistic extrapolation of present problems into the future. In my point of view all people have got a TV and internet at home in our society.
The media are very important. A lot of people are manipulated by the media. They are very superficial. Bradbury shows this aspect in his novel Fahrenheit 451. A lot of youth watch movies all the time and do not read books. They lose their identity in cyperworlds.In our society a lot of people take drugs and many persons live in poverty.The police and the system control the people by cameras and spying. Your personal data are not safe. Advertising is everywhere around us and manipulates the people.
Advertising shows the reality which you should live. (Tillak)

The book Fahrenheit 451 is a realistic extrapolation of present problems into the future. That realistic extrapolation includes the possibly bad consequences of present problems. As far as I can see there is a high amount of TV and other media consumption. The control of personal data is a good point to show the realistic extrapolation of present problems into the future. There are also alienation, isolation and a lack of love in our population. Furthermore the pollution and destruction of nature mean problems in the future, too. When we look closer we see the dirty ghettos, drugs and painkillers.
One of the problems in the book are wars and manipulation. The people there burn books, because it is against the law to read a book.
The novel is written to warn us against the possibly bad consequences of many aspects of modern life. In my opinion it is too late to show us the dire consequences because they already exist.

The future in Fahrenheit 451 is very interesting sciene-fiction illusion, but not realistic. There are too many unrealistic ideas. It may be that the people thought differently about the development of society and the industrial revolution a few years ago.
But I can`t imagine that the people can live without emotions, love, feelings.
And that the government rules all the TV-programs and stops the freedom of speech and controls all people in every part of their lives is a very dire idea. I can't imagine that the people accept this crazy development for a long time. That the firemen burn books, because the government decides to destroy education is pure imagination in my eyes, because most people today can write and read and books are an important part of their lives. And in a democratic country the people are too proud of their freedom and fight for their rights.
But on the other hand there are some very interesting points and I believe that the consumption of too much TV can be dangerous for the mental and physical constitution of humans.
Some people lose their social contacts and lose their lives outside TV. It is a problem in our time. It is very realistic.
And all the negative extrapolations in this book are absolutely realistic in some places in our world. But the importance of books in this books is an exaggeration, because today other media are more important.
And in the future books will not be as important as they are an alternative to other media, not more. (Hahn)