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Happiness and Hedonism in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

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

References

  • BENTHAM, Jeremy (2004), “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation”, Utilitarianism and Other Essays, Ed. Alan Ryan, Penguin Books, London.
  • BRADBURY, Ray (2008), Fahrenheit 451, HarperCollins, London.
  • BROWN, Joseph F. (2008), “‘As the Constitution Says’: Distinguishing Documents in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, The Explicator, 67.1, 55-58.
  • COLE, Amanda (2006), “The Politics of Happiness”, AQ: Australian Quarterly, 78.5, 21-24.
  • DIMMOCK, Mark and FISHER, Andrew (2017), Utilitarianism: Ethics for A-Level, Open Book Publishers, Cambridge.
  • ELLER, Jonathan R. and TOUPONCE, William F. (2008), “The Simulacrum of Carnival: Fahrenheit 451”, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Ed. Harold Bloom, Bloom’s Literary Criticism-Infobase Publishing, New York, 91-114.
  • FILLER, James (2014), “Ascending from the Ashes: Images of Plato in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, Philosophy and Literature, 38.2, 528-548.
  • GEUSS, Raymond (2005), Happiness and Politics: Outside Ethics, Princeton University Press, Princeton; Oxford.
  • LEE, Sunjoo (2014), “To Be Shocked to Life Again: Ray Bradbury’s FAHRENHEIT 451”, The Explicator, 72.2, 142-145.
  • MANTILLA, Karla (2007), “The Politics of Happiness”, Off Our Backs, 37.4, 31-36.
  • MCGIVERON, Rafeeq O. (1998), “‘To Build a Mirror Factory’: The Mirror and Self-Examination in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, 39.3, 282-287.
  • MCGIVERON, Rafeeq O. (2010), “Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, The Explicator, 54.3, 177-180.
  • REID, Robin Anne (2008), “Fahrenheit 451 (1953)”, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Ed. Harold Bloom, Bloom’s Literary Criticism-Infobase Publishing, New York, 71-80.
  • RYAN, Alan (2010), “Happiness and Political Theory”, Social Research, 77.2, 421-440.
  • SEED, David (1994), “The Flight from the Good Life: ‘Fahrenheit 451’ in the Context of Postwar American Dystopias”, Journal of American Studies, 28.2, 225-240.
  • SEED, David (2015), Ray Bradbury, University of Illinois Press, Champaign, Illinois.
  • SIMONTON, Dean Keith (1990), Psychology, Science and History: An Introduction to Historiometry, Yale UP, New Haven.
  • SISARIO, Peter (1970), “A Study of the Allusions in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, The English Journal, 59.2, 201-205+212.
  • STANCA, Luca and VEENHOVEN, Ruut (2015), “Consumption and Happiness: Introduction to this Special Issue”, International Review of Economics (IREC), 62.2, 91-99.
  • VEENHOVEN, Ruut (1991), “Is Happiness Relative?”, Social Indicators Research, 24.1, 1-34.
  • VEENHOVEN, Ruut (2003), “Hedonism and Happiness”, Journal of Happiness Studies, 4, 437-457.
  • VEENHOVEN, Ruut (2010), “Greater Happiness for a Greater Number: Is That Possible and Desirable?”, Journal of Happiness Studies, 11, 605-629.
  • ZIPES, Jack (2008), “Mass Degradation of Humanity and Massive Contradictions in Bradbury’s Vision of America in Fahrenheit 451”, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Ed. Harold Bloom, Bloom’s Literary Criticism-Infobase Publishing, New.

Ray Bradbury’nin Fahrenheit 451 Eserinde Mutluluk ve Hedonizm

Year 2021, Volume: 11 Issue: 21, 49 - 58, 29.01.2021
https://doi.org/10.33207/trkede.751993

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.

References

  • BENTHAM, Jeremy (2004), “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation”, Utilitarianism and Other Essays, Ed. Alan Ryan, Penguin Books, London.
  • BRADBURY, Ray (2008), Fahrenheit 451, HarperCollins, London.
  • BROWN, Joseph F. (2008), “‘As the Constitution Says’: Distinguishing Documents in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, The Explicator, 67.1, 55-58.
  • COLE, Amanda (2006), “The Politics of Happiness”, AQ: Australian Quarterly, 78.5, 21-24.
  • DIMMOCK, Mark and FISHER, Andrew (2017), Utilitarianism: Ethics for A-Level, Open Book Publishers, Cambridge.
  • ELLER, Jonathan R. and TOUPONCE, William F. (2008), “The Simulacrum of Carnival: Fahrenheit 451”, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Ed. Harold Bloom, Bloom’s Literary Criticism-Infobase Publishing, New York, 91-114.
  • FILLER, James (2014), “Ascending from the Ashes: Images of Plato in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, Philosophy and Literature, 38.2, 528-548.
  • GEUSS, Raymond (2005), Happiness and Politics: Outside Ethics, Princeton University Press, Princeton; Oxford.
  • LEE, Sunjoo (2014), “To Be Shocked to Life Again: Ray Bradbury’s FAHRENHEIT 451”, The Explicator, 72.2, 142-145.
  • MANTILLA, Karla (2007), “The Politics of Happiness”, Off Our Backs, 37.4, 31-36.
  • MCGIVERON, Rafeeq O. (1998), “‘To Build a Mirror Factory’: The Mirror and Self-Examination in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, 39.3, 282-287.
  • MCGIVERON, Rafeeq O. (2010), “Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, The Explicator, 54.3, 177-180.
  • REID, Robin Anne (2008), “Fahrenheit 451 (1953)”, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Ed. Harold Bloom, Bloom’s Literary Criticism-Infobase Publishing, New York, 71-80.
  • RYAN, Alan (2010), “Happiness and Political Theory”, Social Research, 77.2, 421-440.
  • SEED, David (1994), “The Flight from the Good Life: ‘Fahrenheit 451’ in the Context of Postwar American Dystopias”, Journal of American Studies, 28.2, 225-240.
  • SEED, David (2015), Ray Bradbury, University of Illinois Press, Champaign, Illinois.
  • SIMONTON, Dean Keith (1990), Psychology, Science and History: An Introduction to Historiometry, Yale UP, New Haven.
  • SISARIO, Peter (1970), “A Study of the Allusions in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451”, The English Journal, 59.2, 201-205+212.
  • STANCA, Luca and VEENHOVEN, Ruut (2015), “Consumption and Happiness: Introduction to this Special Issue”, International Review of Economics (IREC), 62.2, 91-99.
  • VEENHOVEN, Ruut (1991), “Is Happiness Relative?”, Social Indicators Research, 24.1, 1-34.
  • VEENHOVEN, Ruut (2003), “Hedonism and Happiness”, Journal of Happiness Studies, 4, 437-457.
  • VEENHOVEN, Ruut (2010), “Greater Happiness for a Greater Number: Is That Possible and Desirable?”, Journal of Happiness Studies, 11, 605-629.
  • ZIPES, Jack (2008), “Mass Degradation of Humanity and Massive Contradictions in Bradbury’s Vision of America in Fahrenheit 451”, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Ed. Harold Bloom, Bloom’s Literary Criticism-Infobase Publishing, New.
There are 23 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Emrah Atasoy 0000-0002-5008-2636

Publication Date January 29, 2021
Submission Date June 12, 2020
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 11 Issue: 21

Cite

APA Atasoy, E. (2021). Happiness and Hedonism in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Trakya Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 11(21), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.33207/trkede.751993