Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a novel about a futuristic society in which similarity is highly promoted. The inhabitants of this community are persuaded by the media and government not to think for themselves. They are encouraged to trail the multitude of people. One aspect of life in this futuristic society that is particularly different from the American lifestyle is recreation. In America, recreation is social, diverse, and exciting. Recreation in Fahrenheit 451 is described as a solitary activity that focuses on television.
People in today's public are constantly encouraged to partake in sports and physical activities for the benefit of their physical and mental health. A person without a gym membership or a student that doesn't engage in sports could be considered atypical. Fahrenheit 451 never mentions sports at all. This populace would never participate in a soccer game, or even be a spectator for a tennis match. Their free time is consumed with television only.
In the United States, television is certainly a part of most peoples" every day lives, but it does not dominate their time. There are exceptions, but the average person has set higher priorities on family, employment, and friends. Television is something that Americans do for pleasure, when they don't have something of greater importance to do. The society of Fahrenheit 451 appears to have ranked television high on its list. In the book, Mildred and her friends get exceedingly upset every time they are interrupted while viewing a program on TV. .
Today's culture is based on a structure of socialization. The world's people seem that they can't stop themselves from socializing. Every event has turned into a chance to talk and catch up on the latest gossip. Everything from football games, birthday parties, and meals are senseless if the right crowd isn't there to stimulate it with conversation. Fahrenheit 451's humanity is much different.
