Where are we going?
Doctorow, Bradbury, and Orwell forewarn readers that society is heading towards a future where an impossible standard of conformity tries to eliminate individuality because it fuels a loathing of differences that destabilizes the established order. This fear of the other manifests itself in different forms throughout the three novels.
Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 exposes his fears via the women Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Phelps. These women, though seemingly ordinary, lack compassion, which becomes alarmingly clear to Montag. As they chidingly confide in him, "'...children are ruinous; you're out of your mind,' said Mrs. Phelps. 'I plunk the children in school nine days out of ten. I put up with them when they come home three days a month; it's not bad at all. You heave them into the 'parlor' and turn the switch. It's like washing clothes; stuff laundry in and slam the lid.' Mrs. Bowles tittered. 'They'd just as soon kick as kiss me. Thank God, I can kick back!'" (Bradbury, 95). Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Phelps feel no more love for their children than they do for their housework. Because the world they live in encourages this negligent behavior, the two women never develop an emotional bond with their children. This deprives them of the opportunity to develop key human emotions such as empathy and patience. When Mrs. Bowles pushes her children away from her, they begin to resent her for not loving them. This betrayal destroys their trust and youthful innocence and drives them to drastic measures to gain attention. The children who nearly ran over Montag exemplify this behavior, continuing the cycle of violence. Ultimately, this will lead to the breakdown of their society.
This mindless brutality is woven deeply in Winston's world. 1984's Two Minute Hate manifests this savageness. Winston concedes, "The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but, on the contrary, that it was impossible to avoid joining in. Within thirty seconds any pretense was always unnecessary. A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledgehammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one's will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic" (Orwell,18-19). This alarming display of hatred solidifies what Orwell hints at throughout the book.
Societies that suppress thought and emotion establish a collective mindset that degrades the quality of life. It creates a population that exists from day to day based on somebody else's will, rather than living independently. When citizens of a nation no longer experience any emotion of their own will, they lose an essential piece of their humanity because they are not living and experiencing the world around them. When people realize they are only existing, the consequences can be almost as frightening.
Orwell and Bradbury aren’t the only authors who have raised alarm over the threat of conformity, and the violence that can result. Chuck Palahniuk's novel, Fight Club, exposes readers to a world that parallels modern society. The main character, who remains unnamed throughout the book, meets a stranger named Tyler Durden who changes his life forever. Tyler introduces him to Fight Club, a vast underground program that encourages men to savagely fight each other. The logic behind this is as shocking as the club itself. As the lead character explains, "We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off" (Palahniuk). The club enables men to vent their rage and dissatisfaction through violence. This escalates into an anarchy movement that threatens to bring down the entire civilization. These men will go to any measures to fulfill their work, stripping away their innocence and sanity until they resemble rabid dogs.
The dehumanization in these novels is an alarming reflection of a growing problem in modern America. Donald Trump, a presidential candidate for the United States, models this dilemma. A journalist with The New York Times, Lawrence Downes, urges people to be more concerned about Trump. His recent success in the polls reveals the horrific truth of the American psyche. As Downes explains, "The language he uses about immigrants is dehumanizing and vile. The audiences that adore him are animated not just by infatuation, but by the age-old catalysts of fear, resentment and hate" (Downes).
A growing number of US citizens have extremely racist views towards immigration. Trump energizes this with his own proposals to dealing with illegal immigration. Despite this overt racism, the support behind his main idea of a wall along the Mexican border is surprising. The people who agree with Trump about immigration also believe that a person must fit the American "standard". If they do not have white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes, then they must be shipped out of the country.
When humanity turns against itself because of racial bias, violence becomes common. Prejudice vilifies an entire minority and encourages cruel and demeaning behavior from other citizens which, if left unopposed, corrupts the social order. Bradbury, Orwell, Palahniuk, and Downes are raising the alarm; if the standards of the country do not evolve, they will soon erode the foundation of society.