Fahrenheit 451 Literary Analysis

Another example of government control in Fahrenheit 451

In Fahrenheit 451, Montag’s world banned books out of ignorance; the government felt that books were a threat because they contain ideas and knowledge. Montag was considered an ignorant citizen until his mindset about knowledge was turned upside down when he met Clarisse. Throughout the book Montag’s society believes that a fireman’s jobs is to burn books and destroy all knowledge to create equality and tranquility within the society. Firemen igniting fires is ironic because firemen in today’s society prevent fires. However, Montag finally realizes that life becomes more complete and full when knowledge is included. He did not look at the books as a negative threat towards society;

Imagine living in a society where intellectual knowledge is forbidden, books are illegal, and a system where the government is able to interfere with daily life. Guy Montag is a firefighter who does the opposite of what people in the twenty-first century think he does. Instead of stopping fires, he starts them. The government bans all books everywhere in the country from being read. Montag is happy with his job until Clarisse McClellanshows him why books are good. In Farenheit 451 (Ballantine Books, 1953), by Ray Bradbury, Bradbury uses the irony of people’s changing opinions to show Montag’s view on books.

Sandy Hook Elementary School. San Bernardino. Paris. What do all of these places have in common? They fell victim to unpredictability. Mass shootings are not new to our society, but they are still a devastating problem that should not exist any longer. Mass shootings connect to the novel, Fahrenheit 451, through both the unnecessary violence and the absence of humanity that are evident in the novel. Mass shootings are a devastating problem in our society, and now their numbers have escalated to a new level. This change reflects how both our society and our humanity is beginning to crumble, solutions like banning unnecessary and excessive fire arms are currently being enacted.

Could you imagine a world with no books, and a government oppressing all of its citizens without them having a clue to what’s really going on? Some stay strong and don’t fall into the trap the government has set for its people. Guy Montag, a fireman whose job is to burn any books he finds, is finally starting to question if what he is doing is actually the right thing. The only world he has ever known is where fire is used for destruction and punishment. Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 makes the reader realize the importance of books and the possibility of a world where fire is used to control people.

Thesis: In The Village, Orwell’s 1984, and Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the government brainwashes their citizens to prevent individuality to gain power over society. The government uses fear, propaganda, and brutal force to gain control of their citizens. Keeping citizens uninformed made it easier to control society. Utopias are unrealistic and often fail, It is impossible to form a perfect society.

This control over the citizens and more specifically their information allows the government to rule without opposition. Captain Beatty illustrated this stance on books when talking to Montag in part 1: “A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take a shot from the weapon” (Bradbury 56). This piece of propaganda was an immensely useful tool to Montag's government. It allowed them to control all forms of information that people had and let them get rid of the people who would rebel without questions. Another standout example of propaganda in the book is during Montag’s escape from the city. He is running away from the Hound, a robotic dog, and eventually escapes it. Having lost Montag the government knows it can’t admit it lost and resorts to continuing the chase and eventually killing an innocent man in Montag's place. As Montag watches this unfold Granger explains why they did it: “The show has to have a snap ending, quick... So they’re sniffing for a scapegoat to end things with a bang.” (Bradbury, 141). The actions of Montag's government at that point help to show how useful propaganda was. If they had not caught anyone the illusion would slip but since “Montag” is now dead they seem like they are capable of anything. This discourages more people from rebelling and benefits the government by keeping their image up.

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel following the life of a thirty-year-old man named Montag and his society controlled by technology. In the book, books are illegal to read and own. It is the firemen’s job to burn these books and the houses which contain them. Neither Montag nor his wife Mildred can think of an answer as to why books are bad, other than the fact that they are illegal. When Montag meets a young girl Clarisse, she describes her school as unsocial and her fellow classmates as violent and wild. Therefore, the advancements of technology create a society where people lack logical thinking as seen by the characterizations of Mildred and the children attending Clarisse’s school.

Seeking Freedom based on the Restriction on Books In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, Montag and his society struggle for freedom based on the restriction of books. During a conversation between Clarisse and Montag about his job, Clarisse says to him, “‘Do you even read any of the books you burn?” He laughed. ‘That’s against the law!”

After reading Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury in high school, I felt I had a good understanding on how books and reading have an impact on society. Books allow us to broaden our imagination, our vocabulary and our intellect. Literature can become a source of debate, ideas, conversations and enjoyment. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 depicts how government can censor even the simplest form of freedom, the enjoyment of reading.

People were controlled by the government in Fahrenheit 451 to believe that books were bad for them and that it was not good to think very hard. When the government found out that a person had books they would send the fire department to burn the books. Friends would snitch on friends, wifes on husbands,

The public of Fahrenheit 451 are seemingly unaware of how much they are being controlled and it takes only a few moments of clarity for the main character, Montag, to realize how corrupt his own society is. Bradbury uses his own life experiences of WWII and the Nazi book burnings for inspiration in the creation of his top-selling novel. Fahrenheit 451 is as entertaining as it is informative and a warning to the world about the dangers of censorship and protecting the freedom of

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury gives a glimpse of a future dystopian society. Guy Montag is a fireman who lives in this isolated society, where books are banned due to the fear of free thinking. And Fireman’s job is to burn any books that come in sight. People in these society are emotionless, they don’t read books or question about what is going on around them. Instead, they spend most of their time watching TV and listening to the radio. Government aspires a perfect society where individuals are not allowed to read books, have cultivated conversations or complex thoughts. Whoever fails to follow the rules or goes against them, eventually gets killed. Bradbury depicts a society in which books are burned as means to destroy knowledge.

“Then, moaning, she ran forward, seized a book and ran toward the kitchen incinerator. He caught her, shrieking. He held her and she tried to fight away from him scratching,” (63). In the novel Fahrenheit 451 follows the protagonist, Guy Montag, and his interactions with society discouraging and encouraging his discovery of the illegal books. Along the way he understands who are the poisonous people in his dystopian world and who are not; changing his perspective to lose trust in his wife Mildred, from previous quote, and finding safety with Faber, a retired professor he came by one day in a park. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 the author demonstrates the idea that when there is censorship in the world, ignorance will follow because when a subject is hidden from one anything they do regarding it is under the impression of their lack of knowledge surrounding the topic, this becomes more relevant when Ray Bradbury acknowledges the emotions of people who have read books and whom haven't and their general opinions of them.

In Fahrenheit 451, the firemen burned a woman and her library in order to suppress information contained within her books to protect the system in which the government deceives the people.