Censorship And Conformation In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

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Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 opens with Guy Montag, a fireman, reminiscing of the pleasures of burning. As the story unfolds, we learn that Montag is a fireman who rids the world of books by burning all that are found. Walking home one night Montag meets Clarisse, his strong minded neighbor. She begins peppering him with questions. Clarisse doesn’t go along with societal norms and Montag realizes that immediately. “I rarely watch the 'parlor walls ' or go to races or Fun Parks. So I 've lots of time for crazy thoughts, I guess.” (Bradbury 3) Clarisse uses her imagination brought by stories from books and family instead of watching television. Clarisse helps Montag realize that the government induced censorship and conformation is stifling society’s education and imagination. Montag’s wife, Mildred ,is incapable of having a personal conversation with Montag. She conforms to societal standards and is greatly …show more content…

Clarisse infers what happens when censorship continues to be allowed. She is a strong character used to alter Montag’s thinking. Clarisse tells of a near utopic time years before when there were porches on houses, families and neighbors socializing, and having a book wasn’t illegal, before government control began by taking the porches off the houses to prevent socializing. That first action evolved into book burning enacted censorship. Clarisse helps Montag open his eyes and see the world in a different way. She loves nature and tells him about things he had possibly forgotten. "Bet I know something else you don 't. There 's dew on the grass in the morning." He suddenly couldn 't remember if he had known this or not, and it made him quite irritable.” (Bradbury 3) She helps him realize that the government using censorship and denying the people the freedom of what they can read and the ability to learn is producing a stupid

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