Henry David Thoreau, a famous American author, once said: "What good is a house if you don't have a tolerable planet to build it on?" » Essentially, Thoreau believed that while most individuals are tolerable, society as a whole is not. Ray Bradbury reflects on Thoreau's ideas in his novel titled Fahrenheit 451. In the novel, Guy Montag, the protagonist, realizes that his so-called utopian society is actually a dystopia. Montag finally realizes this when Clarisse, his young neighbor, asks him if he is happy. Although Montag thinks he is happy, it becomes clear later in the novel that he is not. Montag finds countless faults in the society in which he lives. Throughout the novel, Bradbury's goal is to show the reader some flaws in today's world, such as our education system and the effects of technology on life. The reader should see that Bradbury uses Clarisse several times in the novel to criticize the education system. Montag has known Clarisse for some time now and asks her why she doesn't go to school. She responds by saying that she doesn't go to school because she is considered "antisocial" (33). Bradbury criticizes the fact that the system expects students to go to school, attend class quietly, and understand all the information being taught. He doesn't expect students to ask questions, really think, and be productive. The system wants to brainwash students into believing everything they are taught. Students will eventually become average, just like most people in society. Shortly after this statement, Clarisse describes her experience at school. She tells Montag, "you know, we never ask questions, they [middle of paper... helle Hackman, a sophomore in high school, realized that her friends, rather than engaged in conversation, were “more likely to text each other” (Huffington Post). Michelle also realized that over forty percent of people suffered from anxiety when separated from the phone. This clearly shows that we are connected to the technology we use, but we also suffer from the use of technology. We spend more than half of our day using some sort of technology, whether it's a computer, phone, television, or radio. Technology is becoming a dominant part of our lives and we cannot live without it. Technology has become our family and is part of us. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. “Fahrenheit 451.” New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tania-ketenjian/are-kids-addicted-to-text_b_3999267.html