Two different perspectives for the future: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 showed us a world where people find it acceptable, even preferable, to remain ignorant about the state of their world and deal with the darker aspects of the world. one's humanity. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale imagined a theocratic government called Gilead that seduced women into servitude to military commanders for the purpose of procreating. In both of these dark contemplations of the future, people are discouraged and harshly punished for expressing any kind of dissent. Perspectives that do not align with the status quo are discouraged, perhaps even feared, and consequently censored. The aim of these authors was perhaps not to predict the future, but to examine parts of society that needed to be examined to raise awareness. In both of these novels, any such questioning or dissent is unacceptable, as Atwood's protagonist, Offred, explains that "thinking can hurt your chances, and I mean to last" (Atwood 8). However, Ray Bradbury's town was razed to the ground due to the apathy and lack of attention of its citizens. Bradbury's choice of expression also faced difficulties in the real world, as he himself “had experienced many pressures to modify his work so as to make it more acceptable to this or that group” (Patai 1). These thoughtful literary pieces have provoked discussions about the ability to speak and express oneself freely and, ironically, have faced attacks of criticism and censorship. These are freedoms that Diane Wood reminds us “must be vigilantly guarded to be maintained” (Wood 4). As Americans, the evolution of our society has depended on those freedoms. Through the examination of these two novels, we will see how the stifling of fundamental freedoms of speech and indi...... middle of paper ......y 51.1 (2009): 11-25. Premier of academic research. Network. April 29, 2014. Permalink http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=44641582&site=ehost-liveBradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2013. Print Patai, Daphne. “Ray Bradbury and the Assault on Free Thought.” Society 50.1 (2013): 41-47. Premier of academic research. Network. April 29, 2014. Permalink http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=84935902&site=ehost-liveWood, Diane S. “Bradbury and Atwood: Exile as a Rational Decision.” The literature of emigration and exile. Ed. James Whitlark and Wendall Aycock. Texas Tech University Press, 1992. 131-142. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Network. 11 September 2013. Document URL http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1420011359&v=2.1&u=cclc

Topic > Two different perspectives for the future: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 showed us a world where people find it acceptable, even preferable, to remain ignorant about the state of their world and deal with the darker aspects of the world. one's humanity. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale imagined a theocratic government called Gilead that seduced women into servitude to military commanders for the purpose of procreating. In both of these dark contemplations of the future, people are discouraged and harshly punished for expressing any kind of dissent. Perspectives that do not align with the status quo are discouraged, perhaps even feared, and consequently censored. The aim of these authors was perhaps not to predict the future, but to examine parts of society that needed to be examined to raise awareness. In both of these novels, any such questioning or dissent is unacceptable, as Atwood's protagonist, Offred, explains that "thinking can hurt your chances, and I mean to last" (Atwood 8). However, Ray Bradbury's town was razed to the ground due to the apathy and lack of attention of its citizens. Bradbury's choice of expression also faced difficulties in the real world, as he himself “had experienced many pressures to modify his work so as to make it more acceptable to this or that group” (Patai 1). These thoughtful literary pieces have provoked discussions about the ability to speak and express oneself freely and, ironically, have faced attacks of criticism and censorship. These are freedoms that Diane Wood reminds us “must be vigilantly guarded to be maintained” (Wood 4). As Americans, the evolution of our society has depended on those freedoms. Through the examination of these two novels, we will see how the stifling of fundamental freedoms of speech and indi...... middle of paper ......y 51.1 (2009): 11-25. Premier of academic research. Network. April 29, 2014. Permalink http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=44641582&site=ehost-liveBradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2013. Print Patai, Daphne. “Ray Bradbury and the Assault on Free Thought.” Society 50.1 (2013): 41-47. Premier of academic research. Network. April 29, 2014. Permalink http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=84935902&site=ehost-liveWood, Diane S. “Bradbury and Atwood: Exile as a Rational Decision.” The literature of emigration and exile. Ed. James Whitlark and Wendall Aycock. Texas Tech University Press, 1992. 131-142. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Network. 11 September 2013. Document URL http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1420011359&v=2.1&u=cclc_reed&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w