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Fahrenheit 451

Decent Essays

Bradbury 's novel, Fahrenheit 451, was written at the onset of the fifties as a call to the American people to reflect on how the dominant social values of their times were effecting both the lives of individual Americans and their government. Fahrenheit 451 attacks utopian government and focuses on society 's foolishness of always being politically correct. (Mogen 113). According to Mogen, Fahrenheit 451 depicts a world in which the American Dream has turned into a nightmare because it has been superficially understood. (Mogen 107) In order to understand Bradley 's social critique, it is essential to realize that he wrote Fahrenheit 451 in the wake of World War II and the early days of the Cold War, in a political climate that was …show more content…

(Bradbury 159) The governments perceive ignorance as superior because without out knowledge people would not have differing views of principles. (Novel Guide) The government stands for the majority and always is against differing views and against being politically incorrect in fear of upsetting the group. (Book Rags)
The characters in Fahrenheit 451 are a direct reflection of the nature of the government and society. Montag, the protagonist in Fahrenheit 451, is by no means the typical valiant hero. (Challenging Destiny) The reader can often empathize with Montag, because he is a normal person who is fighting for his mission. (Mogen 113). "Faced with the enormity and complexity of books for the first time, he is often confused, frustrated, and overwhelmed." (Challenging Destiny). Although he often takes steps that are confusing and ill-advised, he is incredibly intelligent and manages to trick the mechanical hound, a computerized animal used by the government to punish its enemies. (Book Rags). Montag 's faith in his profession and his society begins to decline almost immediately after the novel 's opening passage. "At times he is not even aware of why he does things, feeling that his hands are acting by themselves." (Challenging Destiny). When Beatty prepares to arrest Montag, Montag realizes he cannot exist in this escapist society. (Challenging Destiny) Montag escapes and takes flees for the country in search of more people similar to

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