[Type text]

Lauren Haddow

Professor Willburn

American Literature

11 December 2010

We are the hollow men

We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dried grass
T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men

The Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness plays an important and necessary role in the lives of people around the world. In

America, happiness has been engrained in our brains since Thomas Jefferson penned these famous

words in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these

are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson). Since then, Americans from New York to

California have been engaged in that act: pursuing happiness. The problem however, as Ray Bradbury

demonstrates in his novel Fahrenheit 451, is that those things which make us happy initially may

eventually lead to our downfall. By examining Guy Montag, the protagonist in Fahrenheit 451, and the

world he lives in we can gain valuable insights to direct us in our own pursuit of happiness. From Montag

and other characters we will learn how physical, emotional, and spiritual happiness can drastically affect

our lives. We must ask ourselves what our lives, words, and actions are worth. We should hope that our

words are not meaningless, “as wind in dried grass” (Eliot).

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History

Before we look into specifics, we’ll examine the history and development of “happiness” as a

philosophy. Of course, the emotion of happiness has always existed, but it began to be seriously

contemplated around 2,500 years ago by philosophers like Confucius, Buddha, Socrates and Aristotle.

Shortly after Buddha taught his followers his Noble Eight Fold Path (which we will talk about later),

Aristotle was teaching that happiness is “dependent on the individual” (Aristotle).

Probably more than any of the early philosophers, Aristotle promoted happiness as a central

component of human life. The Greeks used a term, eudaimonia, which is often used as the Greek word

for happiness. However, most scholars translate it as “human flourishing” or “well-being of the spirit.”

Along with eudaimonia, terms like arete, “virtue”, and phronesis, “practical or moral wisdom”, are at

the core of Greek philosophy. So if you could have asked Aristotle “What components or values must a

person have in order to live a fulfilling life?” He probably would have answered, “Virtue, wisdom, and

spiritual well-being.” Would Aristotle have been pleased with the futuristic world of Fahrenheit 451?

Probably not. Certainly, the lack of virtue, learning, and the false sense of happiness would have

astonished any of the early philosophers.

Physical Happiness

In Fahrenheit 451, the citizens of the city in which Montag lives are disconnected from the

physical world. They are constantly watching their “wall TVs” with “seashells” in their ears. They have no

conversations with each other that are meaningful, and they drive so fast they can never see the beauty

of nature that is around them. Part of a recent study done by two University of Michigan psychologists

discovered that human being prefer nature to cities (Dye). In the study, which was to analyze the “keys

of happiness,” the researchers asked people to look at two photos (one of nature and the other a city

scene) and decide which one they preferred. With only one exception, participants chose the nature
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photo. The single exception was of an urban park. Another study done at Cornell University found that

nature had a positive impact on the stress levels of children. Children who live next to green spaces

were less affected by the “psychological distress that accompanies high-stress events” (Lang). This

shows that nature affects people throughout their entire lives in positive ways, and the lack of nature

can have debilitating effects.

America in Fahrenheit 451 has separated itself from nature. The people have convinced

themselves that those who take time to do things like have conversations and appreciate nature are

“strange”, and so they ostracize them. In the novel, Clarisse is a perfect example of one of these

“strange” people. Clarisse and her family enjoy nature. They like to sit with each other and have

conversations. Sometimes, they even go on walks. Montag observes Clarisse “shaking a walnut tree,”

and on the “lawn knitting a blue sweater.” She even brings him bouquets of flowers, sacks of chestnuts,

and pins fallen leaves to his door (Bradbury 28). Montag asks Clarisse why she is never in school. She

replies, “Oh, they don’t miss me. I’m anti-social, they say. I don’t mix. It’s so strange. I’m very social

indeed. It all depends on what you mean by social, doesn’t it? Social to me is talking to you about… how

strange the world is” (Bradbury 29). The way Clarisse is treated demonstrates exactly how disconnected

society is from the natural world. They have no regard for the physical world so they exclude those who

do.

Mildred, Montag’s wife, is the literary foil to Clarisse. A foil is a character who contrasts with

another character, usually in order to highlight certain characteristics or attributes the characters have

(Literary Terms). Mildred loves her TV programs, rather, she is obsessed with them. Montag tells us that

“no matter when he came in, the walls were always talking to Mildred” (Bradbury 44). At one point

Montag asks her what one of her shows is about. She responds, “I told you. There are these people

named Bob and Ruth and Helen” (20).This gives the reader a clue that these programs are meaningless
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and mind-numbing, meant to distract the viewers into a submission of sorts. The TV programs have

been partly responsible for destroying Montag’s marriage. Montag thinks that “there is a wall between

him and Mildred, when you came down to it… Literally not just one wall but, so far, three!” (44). Aside

from that, Mildred never experiences nature unless it is through her wall-TV (45). We even get the

impression that Mildred is physically suffering from her hours of indoor TV-watching. Montag describes

her body as “displayed on the lid of a tomb” (12). Is Bradbury arguing here for a reorientation towards

nature? Perhaps yes, perhaps no, but Mildred could certainly benefit from some outdoors time.

Emotional Happiness

Emotional happiness might seem redundant at first, since happiness is an emotion. We will be

looking more at emotional well-being, or whether characters are emotionally satisfied. According to the

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “No aspect of our mental life is more important to the quality and

meaning of our existence than emotions” (Emotion). So it seems reasonable that we would examine the

effect emotions have on our well-being or happiness. We are first introduced to the emotional aspect of

the novel when Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy (Bradbury 10). At first, Montag asserts that he is

indeed happy, but upon further reflection, he realizes that he is not (12). This awareness prompts

Montag on his journey that becomes the center of the novel.

One of the most obvious expressions of unhappiness in the novel is the high suicide rate in

future America. We learn of this problem when Montag is speaking with the rescuers after his own wife

attempts suicide. The medics inform us that they attend to 9 or 10 suicide calls every night. The high

occurrence of suicides had led to the invention of special machines to save suicide “victims.” Suicides

are often committed out of despair, and often some type of mental disorder is present in the person

who commits suicide. Suicide has become a serious issue in the world, more so in the developed

nations. Suicide rates are highest in the Baltic states, such as Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia. The suicide
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rate in the US is half that in Russia (30,000 compared to 60,000). Since the time Bradbury wrote

Fahrenheit 451, the suicide rate in the US has nearly tripled. Almost 11,600 people took their own lives

in 1950 (Suicide Rates by 100,000). Suicide rates parallel with levels of unhappiness in these countries.

The Happy Planet Index, which rates countries based on several factors, rated Russia, the Baltic states,

the US, along with many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the lowest in “happiness” in the world.

Interestingly, these countries also have the highest rates of suicide. Bradbury uses the suicide to

dramatically illustrate just how unhappy the modern citizens are. The attempted suicide of Mildred

could be considered a contributing event into Montag’s journey towards finding his own happiness.

Bradbury gives us something else to think about when he describes what becomes of people

when they die in the future. Captain Beatty explains, “Funerals are unhappy and pagan? Eliminate them

too. Five minutes after a person is dead he’s on his way to the Big Flue, the Incinerators serviced by

helicopters all over the country. Ten minutes after death a man’s a speck of black dust. Let’s not quibble

over individuals with memoriums. Forget them. Burn all, burn everything” (Bradbury 60). We can see

that the elimination of funerals probably came over a long period of time. This probably would occur as

individuals deal less and less with each other, therefore becoming more and more detached. Why

bother having memorials when no one has meaningful memories of each other? The solution? The

incinerator. Referring back to the ancient philosophers, Confucius taught: “Let there be a careful

attention to perform the funeral rites to parents, and let them be followed when long gone with the

ceremonies of sacrifice; then the virtue of the people will resume its proper excellence” (Confucius).

Even the ancients understood the virtue and even happiness involved in remembering the dead. This

valuable knowledge was discarded in future America, becoming one factor in the decline of happiness of

this people.

Spiritual Happiness
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Recent research has shown that persons who are religious or spiritual have higher rates of

happiness and satisfaction than those who are not (DeNeve). This is due largely to the emphasis that

most major religions place on happiness. The Catholics refer to this type of happiness as beatitudo,

perfect happiness or perfect well-being, which is only achievable in the next life (Catholic Encyclopedia:

Happiness). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (unofficially but more commonly called the

Mormon Church) teaches the Plan of Happiness, which gives followers guidelines to follow in order to

achieve happiness in mortal life and in the next. Buddhists subscribe to what they call the Noble Eight

Fold Path, which describes “the way to the end of suffering” (The Eightfold Path). We’ll look at how

Montag follows the Eight Fold Path and what benefits are gained from it.

The first step in the Eight Fold Path is called ‘The Right View.’ This is when a person begins to see

things as they really are. This realization happens for Montag very early, when he realizes that he is not

happy (Bradbury 12). The second step is referred to as ‘The Right Intention.’ This is described as a

commitment to mental and ethical self-improvement. Montag enters this step when he makes the

decision to actually read the books that he had always burned. This commitment shows that he is willing

to put the work into gaining the knowledge contained in the books (68). The third step in the path is

‘The Right Speech.’ This involves using speech appropriate to the knowledge the person has gained.

Montag fulfills this in quite a few ways. One example is when he is trying to convince Mildred of the

usefulness of reading books, he says, “Is it true that the world works hard and we play? Is that why

we’re hated so much? Do you know why? I don’t, that’s sure! Maybe the books can get us half out of the

cave. They might just stop us from making the same mistakes” (74). The fourth step is ‘The Right Action.’

This involves the person not only speaking according to their knowledge, but also acting according to it.

One way Montag does this is by phoning Professor Faber and then visits him. Montag acts correctly

according to his knowledge because he finally discovers that books are valuable, and chooses to partner

with Faber to combat the destruction of books (80-91). The fifth step is the most ambiguous. It is ‘The
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Right Livelihood,’ and involves the person striving to be employed in a career that does not go against

the knowledge they have gained. In Montag’s case, a Fireman is not the occupation someone should

have if they have the knowledge Montag has. Montag fulfills this step when he unofficially resigns by

burning Captain Beatty alive and going on the run (119-121). The sixth, seventh, and eighth steps all

involve mental development. They are, in order, ‘The Right Effort’, ‘The Right Mindfulness’, and ‘The

Right Concentration.’ While some of Montag’s actions could fulfill the requirements of this step, it is

more likely that Montag will fulfill these in the future. He’s already put in effort and concentration by

memorizing portions of books, but he has a large potential for improvement there.

So we find ourselves asking, “Well, Montag isn’t a Buddhist, so why would following these steps

help him improve spiritually?” Aside from the fact that Montag is memorizing the Book of Ecclesiastes,

we don’t have much information on his spiritual side. The thing to remember with the Eight Fold Path is

that it is not a set of rules or requirements. It is general knowledge that when closely examined, can be

related to tenets of other religious faiths. Truth is truth no matter where it exists, and Montag develops

a capacity to understand things on a spiritual level once he has moved away from the person he used to

be. Like Montag, we don’t have to be Buddhist to follow this path. In fact, if we examine our lives we

may find that we are somewhere on the Eith Fold Path without even intending to be. Spirituality is an

attribute each person has, but can be lost or forgotten through our actions. If we are lazy and

complacent about our lives, we will never reach a level of spirituality that will bring us true happiness.

Conclusion

While explaining to Montag the history behind how society came to burning books, Captain

Beatty says, “People want to be happy, isn't that right? Haven't you heard it all your life? I want to be

happy, people say. Well, aren't they? Don't we keep them moving, don't we give them fun? That's all we

live for, isn't it? For pleasure, for titillation?” (Bradbury 59) One could argue that our modern society
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only lives for pleasure. The most important thing that Fahrenheit 451 teaches us is that pleasure is not

happiness. Happiness is a core value developed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is not easy, and

is not developed overnight. Hopefully our world will not become as Bradbury’s America of the future.

Hopefully we will keep in tact those things which bring the most lasting happiness. Victor Hugo writes in

his masterpiece Les Misérables, “An admirable thing, the poetry of a people is the gauge of its progress.

The quantity of civilization is measured by the quantity of imagination” (1240). If we, as citizens and

human beings, can remember things which bring true happiness and forget the things that don’t, we

may be able to continue to progress as a civilization.

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