What are parlor walls symbolize in “Fahrenheit 451”?

In "Fahrenheit 451," parlor walls are a powerful symbol that represents the emptiness and numbness of the society in which the story is set. The walls themselves are essentially giant interactive television screens that occupy entire walls and allow individuals to immerse themselves in various forms of entertainment. They are used to distract people from the emptiness and unhappiness in their lives, and they represent the ultimate tool for censorship, as they keep citizens from engaging with the outside world.

The parlor walls symbolize the society's obsession with shallow entertainment, which has replaced intellectualism and critical thinking. The individuals in this society have become so numb to the world around them that they are no longer capable of engaging with it on a meaningful level. They are more interested in the superficial and the banal, as represented by the parlor walls, than in the complexity and beauty of the real world. The walls create a kind of artificial environment that insulates people from the outside world, preventing them from engaging with it on any level beyond the most superficial.

The parlor walls are also a symbol of the dangers of technology. In the novel, technology has been used to create a society that is completely divorced from the natural world. People no longer interact with each other face to face, instead using technology as a barrier to communication. The parlor walls are the ultimate manifestation of this trend, allowing people to completely immerse themselves in a false reality, devoid of any real human interaction or intellectual stimulation. The novel is a warning against the dangers of allowing technology to control our lives and our relationships with each other.