I. IntroductionRay Bradbury felt like our society was heading toward destruction. During the time he wrote Fahrenheit 451, the Holocaust and communism were spreading throughout the world. The spread of this horrific genocide and feared system has left America a nation with little privacy and a plethora of accusations. McCarthy, the "Senator from Wisconsin" (Vol)'s ability to ruin American lives was made possible by the country's "general mood of insecurity and political paranoia following the triumphant conclusion of World War II" (Vol) . Communist rule in Eastern Europe and China led to "rumors" of "communist spies active in Canada" (Over), which led to "a frenzy to eliminate any suspected socialist or communist, and therefore some ninety ideas for the most part harmless, even useful.” These organizations have been listed by the Attorney General of the United States as sources of communist doctrine” (Over). Along with this frenzy and list came "the infamous McCarthy Permanent Subcommittee Investigating the Senate Government Operations Committee, aided by the FBI" which "held hearings to investigate individuals with alleged ties with the Communist Party” (Vol). Unfortunately, “once an individual was brought before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations… it was virtually impossible for him to defend himself, and thousands of people – including show business figures, writers, artists and academics – lost their jobs as a result. , or were placed on blacklists which guaranteed that they could no longer find employment” (Vol). This investigation has ruined innocent lives and deprived many others of a free life. Along with the invasion of privacy, rights were violated: The US government responded to its fear of a rise in communism...... middle of newspaper....... January 31, 2011. "Overview: Fahrenheit 451: The temperature at which books burn. Literature and its times: Profiles of 300 notable literary works and the historical events that influenced them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 5: Civil rights movements circa Future Times (1960-2000). Detroit: Gale, 1997. Internet Resource Center. Reid, Robin Anne. "5." 53-62. Print.Sisario, Peter “A Study of the Allusions in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.” English Journal 59.2 (February 1970): 201-205. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Bruce. “Major Themes in Science Fiction: Utopias and Dystopias.” Britannica Online Encyclopedia.. 2011.