Unless everyone in a society already is on the same page or living in an agreed homogeneous culture - both very difficult, near-impossible tasks to achieve alone - mass conformity is dangerous and has had largely negative consequences. Take a look back at Hitler's Nazi regime, where mass conformity ultimately led to the deaths of millions and the misery of many more. These Nazis did not think for themselves, for, had they had some individuality, they would have quickly realized Hitler was delusional and a bad person unfit to rule over any good country. However the Third Reich was not overthrown, resulting in the discrimination and murder of over six million persons of Jewish heritage among others. In Nazi Germany, they also regularly held book …show more content…
Bradbury therefore feels conformity can be cancerous and illustrates it with extreme examples like the setting of the book. Individuality is liberty.
Reminiscent of Nazi Germany, the squad of “Firemen” stands ready to burn houses full of books at beckoned call of their overlords purely for the prohibition of reading. Lacking individuality or free will, the Firemen are government sheep carrying out the will of those above them and, much like the majority, not thinking for themselves. One would believe a Fire Department to be pacific and heroic, but it is demonstrated that this is not the case, as Bradbury writes, “‘You can't ever have my books,’ she said. ‘You know the law,’ said Beatty, ‘Where's your common sense? None of those books agree with each other. You've been locked up here for years with a regular damned Tower of Babel. Snap out of it! The people in those books never lived. Come on now!’ She shook her head. ‘The whole house is going up,’ said Beatty. The men walked clumsily to the door. They glanced back at Montag, who stood near
In the novel, firemen are known to burn books rather than stop fires and save lives. Stoneman and Black, two firemen from the novel, are addressed with the "rumor'' that before there was a time that firemen did not burn books. They respond by reading an excerpt from their rule book that states, "Established, 1790, to burn English-influenced books in the Colonies. First Fireman: Benjamin Franklin." (Bradbury 32).
Thus, Bradbury is able to demonstrate how all originality and diversity vanishes when conformity is utilized in extremes by labeling all firemen as “mirror images” of each
Finally, throughout the novel Bradbury presents a conflict between ignorance and understanding. The general society is being numbed into believing that knowledge makes people disagree with each other and unhappy. To prevent people from reading and gaining knowledge, the firemen burn all books. By committing these actions, they are promoting sameness and ignorance, to supposedly maintain happiness among society. Captain Beatty explains the history of firemen to Montag, speaking of their society’s view of equality. “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal . . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind.” (Bradbury, page 58) Captain Beatty is hinting that books encourage people to question authority and think about why things are done the way they are
In the dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Firemen are a different breed of heros, believing them to be almost saviors of the society in which they live in by starting fires and burning books rather than putting out the fires.“It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed...While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning” (Bradbury 1). “Coloured people don't like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Burn it….Serenity, Montag. Peace, Montag….Burn them all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean" (Bradbury 57). In Modern Society, Fire departments are depicted as heros
Conformity and Rebellion in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury develops a clear theme of conformity and rebellion. The theme appears throughout Fahrenheit 451 through motifs such as technology, nature, and fire. It is evident that through writing this novel Bradbury hopes to change the reader’s outlook on conforming to the demands of a dystopian society and rebelling against the norm. Bradbury uses specific characters in his novel to highlight these concepts. Bradbury’s characters exhibit qualities that emphasize the theme of conformity and rebellion.
Bradbury based his novel upon the historical event of the Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930’s in which they burned books related to Jewish culture as they believed that their own people would rebel and protest against them if they were to read information associated with Jewish heritage, causing them to conform with society’s expectations. Similarly, the authority in Fahrenheit 451, the government, demanded for the burning of certain books as they aim to prevent individuals from thinking and gaining ideas of rebelling against the government, hence causing individuals in the society of Fahrenheit 451 to conform with society’s norms. This led to Bradbury to establish his main theme, censorship. This is evident when an old woman chooses to burn with her books as she neglects and disapproves of the idea of living in a filled with oppression and is conveyed through Montag’s curious tone in “There must be something in books. Something we can’t imagine. To make a woman stay in a burning house, there must be something there.” This reinforces the idea of how books symbolise freedom towards the perception of certain individuals and most importantly, it delineates the negative impacts of an oppressive and controlling government as they restrict the freedom of individuals by encouraging and empowering firemen to burn books. Furthermore, this idea is explored when firemen appreciate burning books as they believe that they are doing a favour
A totalitarian state is usually led by a dynamic leader who appears to provide a sense of security and guidance towards a brighter future followed by a single political party. Furthermore, the dynamic ruler is a master in the art of building support for his policies and justifying his actions no matter how twisted they may be.The government of Nazi Germany was a fascist, totalitarian state. Totalitarian regimes, in contrast to a dictatorship, establish complete political, social, and cultural control over their subjects, and are usually headed by a charismatic leader.
The Totalitarian Aspects of Nazi Germany The government of Nazi Germany was a fascist, totalitarian state. They ruled in Germany ever since Hitler became chancellor in 1933, to 1945. Totalitarianism was a form of government in which the state involves itself in all facts of society, including the daily life of its citizens. It penetrates and controls all aspects of public and private life, through the state's use of propaganda, terror and technology.
Hitler attained power in 1933 as the result of a complex set of factors. He was the right man at the right time to take advantage of the problems that had arisen in Germany in the post war years.
Contrary to popular belief, no one is born evil. Even the worst tyrants of the world were once innocent and benevolent. Most became the way they are due to unfortunate events in their life. This was the case for Fuhrer Adolf Hitler. Hitler was born in Austria on April 20, 1889. He had a calamitious childhood, a series of deaths in his family occured as he grew up. Although he was Austrian, he admired Germany, for its immense power and accelerated technology, so he joined the German army during World War I. Injured in battle, Hitler was sent to a hospital, where he learned that Germany had surrendered in the war. Enraged at the weakness of his country, Hitler leapt into politics. He vowed to make Germany the most powerful nation in the
World History Coursework What was the significance of the mass media in Nazi Germany?The mass media in Nazi Germany was highly significant in the rise of Adolf Hitler Nazis party. If Adolf Hitler would have not use mass media the Nazis would have never became as popular as other political parties did which would have lead to Adolf Hitler not becoming as popular as he did which would have lead him to not becoming the chancellor of germany. There are many reasons Adolf Hitler Nazi party became popular through mass media. One reasons Adolf Hitler Nazi party gained popularity through mass media was that the Nazis lied through their propaganda to gain votes from middle class citizens in Germany. The Nazis did this by telling citizens that Adolf
Imagine a family taken from their home in the middle of the night, sent to an unknown destination where they were separated from loved ones, also with the uncertainty of whether they were to be tortured or killed. This was reality for many Jews and members of other ethnic, religious, and minority groups across Europe during the 1940s and was a result of Hitler's desire to create a “perfect society”of Aryans. Many of these prisoners were taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp where they were mistreated and their fate was determined by prejudiced beings. Auschwitz, a place where many different groups were annihilated, was part of the largest discriminatory act to occur in history.
Are you loyal to your own land and country, to a point that you will indifferently oppose other land 's and nations ' beliefs, way of life, traditions, and so on. According to Webster (2014), nationalism means showing complete support and faithfulness towards a nation, even though showing nationalism intend to go against other nations. Miscevic (2001) describes the word nationalism in two marvelous ideas. First, it is the way the elements of a country are thoughtful and mindful as for their country’s identity. Second, it is the act of the elements of a country that is made while finding to succeed reaching and continuing their own choice. Nationalism can be illustrated in different perspectives.
The Holocaust is most well-known for the organized and inhumane extermination of more than six million Jews. The death total of the Jews is this most staggering; however, other groups such as Gypsies, Poles, Russians, political groups, Jehovah’s witnesses, and homosexuals were targeted as well (Holocaust Encyclopedia: Introduction to the Holocaust). The initial idea of persecuting select groups of people began with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. In January 1930, Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany after winning over its people with powerful and moving speeches. From this point forward, it was a goal for both Hitler and his Nazi Party to rid the world of deemed “inferior” groups of people (Holocaust Encyclopedia: Timeline
Two days after Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany, on the 3rd of September 1939, President Roosevelt issued a proclamation of neutrality and ordered the suspension of munitions sales to all “belligerents” (nations involved in war.) This included its “allies” the British and the French, as they were counted as “belligerent” nations.