Happiness and Hedonism in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

Year 2021, Volume: 11 Issue: 21, 49 - 58, 29.01.2021

Emrah Atasoy

https://doi.org/10.33207/trkede.751993

Abstract

Ray Bradbury’s literary dystopia, Fahrenheit 451 has attracted international attention since its publication with its rich content, subject matter, characterization, and thematization. Relevant critical scholarship on the novella has increased in number radically over the years, but an article discussing the concept of happiness and its controversial nature does not exist yet. This article will therefore discuss how happiness and hedonism are perceived in Fahrenheit 451 and will argue that it is not possible to reach one fixed definition; instead, it will be claimed that there exist different versions of happiness in Bradbury’s narrative with specific references to the key figures: Montag, Clarisse, Mildred and Beatty.

Keywords

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, dystopia, happiness, hedonism

Ray Bradbury’nin Fahrenheit 451 Eserinde Mutluluk ve Hedonizm

Abstract

Ray Bradbury’nin Fahrenheit 451 başlıklı edebî distopyası, zengin içeriği, ele aldığı konular, karakterize etme ve yansıttığı temalar gibi özellikleriyle yayımlandığı tarihten bu yana uluslararası anlamda ilgi çekmiştir. Eser üzerine yapılan ikincil çalışmalar da yıllar içerisinde bu doğrultuda artmıştır. Ancak, eserde mutluluğu ve mutluluğun tartışmalı doğasını eleştirel olarak inceleyen bir çalışma bulunmamaktadır. Bu anlamda bu çalışma, Fahrenheit 451 eserinde mutluluğun ve hedonizmin algılanışını tartışarak mutluluğun sabit ve kesin bir tanımının mümkün olmadığını savunacaktır. Tartışma sonrasında, Bradbury’nin distopik eserinde mutluluğun her birey için farklı olduğu, eserdeki ana karakterler olan Montag, Clarisse, Mildred ve Beatty üzerinden spesifik örneklerden yararlanılarak iddia edilecektir.

Keywords

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, distopya, mutluluk, hedonizm

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