Mechanical Hound In Fahrenheit 451 - 754 Words

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Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a futuristic novel bursting with symbolism and imagery. One of the most prominent symbols perceived throughout the story, is the Mechanical Hound. It plays an important role in the novel, not only by symbolism, but also throughout the plot of the story. The Mechanical Hound is “not machine, not animal, not dead, not alive” (Bradbury, 128), yet portrays and reveals different aspects of Guy Montag’s society and world. Throughout Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the Mechanical Hound plays a key role in symbolizing multiple concepts observed in the novel, such as the dehumanized nature of society, the totalitarian government, and the abuse of technology. The Mechanical Hound symbolizes the dehumanizing nature of the …show more content…

Since the hound has the inability to think for itself, and because it can, “remember and identify ten thousand odor indexes on ten thousand men” (Bradbury, 127), it is the perfect solution to tracking and abolishing nonconformists. This is seen in the novel, with the search for Montag. The government’s persistence on the ridding of individualists is clearly observed when Montag destroys the first hound, and a second is immediately sent, with news reporters stating to the citizens, “--Mechanical Hound never fails. Never since its first use in tracking quarry has this incredible invention made a mistake” (Bradbury, 126). It is obvious just how desperate the government is to obliterate rebels. The Mechanical Hound is a clear portrayal of a uniform, undeviating society with a fear of anything “abnormal” or unique. It can ultimately be described as the watchdog of their society, constantly on the lookout for novelty and innovation. Montag expresses his sympathy for the hound by stating, “…all we put into it is hunting and finding and killing. What a shame if that’s all it can ever know” (Bradbury, 25). The government is so radically engrossed in maintaining the norm, that the creature is never permitted the opportunity to know anything other than destruction. The Mechanical Hound is “a fitting representative of unrelenting pursuit and execution for those

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  • Ray Bradbury
  • Dystopia
  • Fahrenheit 451
  • Science fiction
  • Guy Montag
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