The title is a great place to start, 451 degrees
Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns according to the book. Measures of
degree fall into the study of chemistry. Chemistry and
biology mix when the Mechanical Hound injects its fluid into a human or
when Montag douses himself with alcohol to cover his chemical make-up that the
Mechanical Hound knows and uses to locate
Montag.
Psychology is at work
as Clarisse is studied by a psychologist and found to be rebellious and not normal. As
the audience reads her character, they enjoy her, but her ability to think and her
desire to think make her
counter-cultural.
Technology
is demonstrated in the parlor walls, the abilities of the Mechanical Hound, the ear
pieces, and the speed and capabilities of cars.
All of the
aforementioned sciences combine early in the novel when Mildred's stomach is pumped. She
seems to overdose on some kind of sleeping pill and then these working class men come to
perform the duty of rescue with emotion completely removed. She used a
chemical compound to alter her body's natural
biological tendencies, and men void of human emotion
(psychology) come using a device
(technology) to remove the
problem.
Science is used in a variety of ways to instigate
fear in the audience about what science could actually do to a
society.
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