Books are banned by the government in the dystopian society that brings the unstable perspective of not knowing what is good and what is wrong. The people of this society think that books will take away their happiness and ruin their lives. However, the government hides a secret that it uses to gain control over the citizens and change their minds. At the beginning of the book, Montag starts off by revealing his perspective on burning, “It was a pleasure to burn” (1). At this point it wasn’t clear who said this but whoever it was, they seem to like burning. In our society you were not able to burn things without permission unless it was on your property. Later in the book, the novel reveals that Montag, a fireman was the one that said the previous
The banning of books didn’t prepare them for what was in them. They were deeply astonished but on the outside scared. Book banning also led to ignoring important documents. Near the end of the book, Montag is talking to a man in the darkness and the man says, “So long as the vast population doesn't wander about quoting the Magna Carta and the Constitution” (147). Book banning also led to ignoring important documents. In our society, the Magna Carta and the Constitution are what specify the rules and laws of our society. Without this, there would be no peace which would lead to a completely different society than ours today. This dystopian society destroys books but many people in the dystopian society still don't see that. The banning of books causes many people to lose their minds and do what they're told which leads to violence. Banning books also brings sadness into the world because they don't know many things which will less prepare them for life. In this case, people in the dystopian society absolutely despise books but in reality, we need books. Their rule of no books completely changed the perspective of people in this dystopian society into an unstable society lacking
Montag, a fireman who ignites books into glowing embers that fall into ashes as black as night. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury expresses a message in which society has opened their doors to mass devastation. Guy Montag, a “fireman”, burns houses that have anything to do with books instead putting fires out like the job of a real firemen. In Montag’s society, books are considered taboo, and owning books can lead to dire consequences. Ray Bradbury portrays a society in which humans have suffered a loss of self, humanity, and a powerful control from the government resulting in a fraudulent society.
Once Montag witnesses the unethical extent that the firemen would go through to destroy the existence of books, he realizes how corrupt and unjust the societal rules were. “He looked with dismay at the floor. ‘We burned an old woman with her books” (47).
Yet, in our society books are important and a fireman would never set a fire purposely, in the novels society Clarisse questions “... how long’ve you worked at being a fireman?” “Since I was twenty, ten years ago.” “Do you ever read of the books you burn?” He laughed. “That’s against the law!”
The first line of the book reads, “It was a pleasure to burn” continued with, “It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed” (1). Clearly Montag enjoys his work and seems to have no remorse for what he is doing and the damage he is causing by burning the book.
It is once in a while in the history of one's literary experience that a book comes a long which is so poignant in its message, so "frightening in its implications" [New York Times], and so ironically simplistic in its word choice. One of these treasures of 20th century literature sits on my desk in front of me as I type-Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the novel devoted to denouncing the adage, "Ignorance is bliss". This novel provides a glance into a bleak world similar to our own (almost too similar) where war is common, feelings are shunned, family is non-existent, and thought is no longer an individual's query. To facilitate this last criterion of Mr. Bradbury's world, books have been banned, condemned to be burned on sight along with their possessors. (Incidentally, I am sure that Mr. Bradbury was aware of the high irony of writing this down in a book when he conceived of the idea.) And who should be the policemen of this world of ignorance? The "firemen." Not unlike the firemen in our world today, they dress alike, drive big trucks, and wail their loud sirens. There is one fundamental difference, however-these firemen start fires; they cleanse the evil books of their sin. And who should personify the heartless, unfeeling, cold-warm fireman but Guy Montag. His father was a fireman, and his father in turn, so what other job could there be for a man like him? Well, as you, the reader, will see, Montag will soon have trouble answering that question himself.
In the article it states that “They didn’t simply burn books which they found disagreeable, but the books which advocated ideas which they believed would undermine the health, safety, and welfare of the German nation” (Cline). In the book this is also a reason why the burning of books began due to the book’s content disrupted the perfect happiness everyone in their society had to feel. People in this society are easily offended and in order to protect them they sent out the firemen to burn each message that was trying to be spread in order to keep everything in
Society was confronted during an era when it questioned change in itself. For example Beatty said “and the books say nothing! Nothing you can teach or believe” (Bradbury 62). This shows that persevering against society will attract others to miss lead people; however they must follow themselves and set the path that they wish to continue down. How this show that is that Montag thought differently about the suppression of books, and became aware how society saw it. In addition Mrs. Phelps Mildred’s friend said “Why don’t you just read us one of those poems from your little book” (Bradbury 98). This shows that Montag had persevered against censorship until others were in dismay, and until they were at a point where they had to use others to help them defend themselves. How this shows that is when people persevere against others and their beliefs they will be recognized and others will try to tear them down. If people persist against society it will push back.
This novel was written by Ray Bradbury, He wrote other novels such as the Martian Chronicles, the Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes, as well as hundreds of short stories, he also wrote for the theater, cinema, and TV. In this essay, three arguments will be made to prove this point. First, the government uses firemen to get rid of books because they are afraid people will rebel, they use preventative measures like censorship to hide from the public the truth, the government promotes ignorance to make it easier for them to control their citizens. Because the government makes books illegal, they make people suppress feelings and also make them miserable without them knowing.
In Fahrenheit 451 The government does not tolerate any violations of its rules, especially reading. When Montag is caught reading he is forced into a cruel and unusual punishment by Beatty,”Not with kerosene and a match, but piecework, with a flamethrower. Your house, your clean-up.”(Bradbury 109). This retaliation of going against the government is very harsh by making Montag burn down his whole house with everything in it because he chose to read.
The government in the book is very keen on censorship. Everyone just follows the government and believes that if books are banned nothing good could possibly come from them, but some people, like Montag, begin to ask themselves what is so bad about books? What is funny to me is that in the book Bradbury conveys that people really don’t have many beliefs or value anything other than technology, but there are a select few like Montag that want to challenge that. Beatty says to Montag, “The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we’re the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought.” (BradBury 62). From the quote one can tell that Beatty is happy with everybody being alike. He thinks that he is actually doing good by saving the people who want to be different, which will cause rebellion in the long run The government thinks that those who have “conflicting” theories are making everybody unhappy. Another way the government limits the people is by limiting the idea and belief of knowledge. At the time Montag doubts why books are immoral material Beatty explains to him that the knowledge contained in books is considered a weapon. Beatty says, “The word intellectual of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar.” (Bradbury 58). To have intellect and to challenge ideas is ignored and said to be unfamiliar, and these people are trained to “dread” the unfamiliar. By ignoring the ability to be knowledgeable society is being ruined. Some might say that by dreading the unfamiliar can lead to less confusion, but confusion is a good thing because it means you are trying to understand the problem. Evidently one can see that by ignoring people’s beliefs and ideas society will destroy
Fire is one of the primary symbols in Fahrenheit 451, as it represents destruction of ideas. People do not like books, they want to be happy, and not have to think.People in Montag's society are ignorant about the content of books and therefore casually burn them. However, Montag comes to the realization that books could leading to destruction. Montag expresses to Mildred “ And I thought about books. And for the first time I realized that a man was
Imagine a world of uniformity. All people look the same, act the same, and love the same things. There are no original thoughts and no opposing viewpoints. This sort of world is not far from reality. Uniformity in modern day society is caused by the banning of books. The novel "Fahrenheit 451" illustrates a future in which the banning of books has risen to the extent that no books are allowed. The novel follows the social and moral implications of an over censored society. Even though the plot may seem far-fetched, themes from this book are still relevant today. Although some people believe that banning a book is necessary to defend their religion, the negative effects caused by censorship and the redaction of individual thought are reasons why books such as "Fahrenheit 451" should not be banned.
Inside Fahrenheit, the book builds its base on a perfect society. This idea is quickly squashed as Montag realizes he isn’t happy. At one point in the book, he is forced to burn a house with a person inside. Montag thinks, “How inconvenient! Always before it had been like snuffing a candle. The police went first and adhesive-taped the victim's mouth and bandaged him off into their glittering beetle cars, so when you arrived you found an empty house. You weren't hurting anyone, you were hurting only things! And since things really couldn't be hurt, since things felt nothing, and things don't scream or whimper, as this woman might begin to scream and cry out, there was nothing to tease your conscience later. You were simply cleaning up. Janitorial work, essentially. Everything to its proper place. Quick with the kerosene! Who's got a match?”(Bradbury, 1953, Pg. 36) This shows how Montag believed that burning a person’s things was perfectly fine. He was blinded by how the society had thought it to be better and more equal without books; to the point where people were hurt by them. The idea of equality and multiple other factors are contributed to a type of moral fog; Everyone thinks that they are happy, and that nothing is wrong. This fake equality doesn’t come without a price. The government has deemed that to make everyone equal, they have to get rid of multiple tools that people today use. Books, being the main target, are illegal to own and distr...
At the beginning of the book Fahrenheit 451, Montag is a loyal citizen and firemen, who has rarely questioned the beliefs of society. He sees the world as any ordinary citizen (in this society) would, and is perfectly content with seeing flames eat the words and thoughts of a person. Montag would never question society as he “grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame” (Bradbury 3). This means that he did not really feel the emotions that he should have felt, and was blinded by society. He felt he was doing good for society, even though he had no evidence except for the book the firemen read from to learn about their profession. The quote “Established, 1790, to burn English-influenced books in the Colonies. First Fireman: Benjamin Franklin. Rule 1. Answer the alarm swiftly. 2. Start the fire swiftly. 3. Burn everything. 4. Report back to firehouse immediately. 5. Stand alert for other alarms” (Bradbury 34-35) gives examples of how ignorant Montag was. He thought that because it was written in a book and because everyone else believed it, he also should believe it. Montag was the perfect citizen in his perfect society, but h...
The author attempts to caution that people must accept the differences and ideas of people and embrace them, not use them as fuel and drive them further away. He is also trying to state that man does not consider the consequences of his actions before he acts. The burning of books provides an example of this. By burning books, the government is attempting to limit independent ideas so they can make people "happy." That way, people wouldn't have to be smarter or better looking. In theory, this would stop the competition between human beings and in effect, would make people more content with who they are. Many people accept this cause, and the government makes sure that all rebels are stopped in order to maintain their "perfect" society.