Assess The Role Of Censorship In Fahrenheit 451

“How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?” (Bradbury 49). This question reveals the role of censorship in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. In this novel, the characters live in a dystopian future United States where firemen enforce government censorship by burning books and other pieces of media, starting fires instead of stopping them. A majority of people agree with this ban, and see books as an obstacle to joy. The role of censorship in Fahrenheit 451 is to insulate the people from being disturbed or reflective, feelings caused by exposure to books discussing unpleasant or philosophical topics. The driving forces behind the banning of books were the increasing population of the world,

As the population of the world increased, authors and publishers began to appeal to these new wider audiences. Beatty explains this in his lecture to Montag during his visit: “The bigger your market, Montag, the less you handle controversy, remember that! All the minor minor minorities with their navels to be kept clean” (Bradbury 55). When the population was small, it was acceptable to write for a smaller, more tailored audience. As the population grew, however, it became divided into so many groups that it became unwise to write for just one of the thousands of minorities. Instead, authors write to appeal to all of them. Books could not do this as effectively as other forms of media, so they were slowly phased out. Fixing intellectual inequality was the second main reason for censoring books. People in Fahrenheit 451 are made scared and

While they are permanently entertained, they are both numb and forlorn. One interaction that shows the unfeeling nature of the general population is Mildred’s reaction to Clarisse’s death: “McClellan. Run over by a car. Four days ago. I’m not sure. But I think she’s dead. The family moved out anyway. I don’t know. But I think she’s dead” (Bradbury 44). Throughout this conversation, Mildred shows little care or emotion for the death of someone who lived near her. She is so unbothered that she even forgets to tell Montag that Clarisse has died. Mildred learns about the information and goes right back to listening to her seashells or talking with the family in the parlor. The constant stream of entertainment prevents her from having even a moment to stand and think about what has occurred. People would rather keep being happy than have to confront the weight of someone’s death. They have an equally apathetic reaction to the announcement of a war. Even when their own spouses are fighting in it, they believe it will be over painlessly, just a few days and they come back. Once they do slow down, however, and are left to think, they find themselves empty. Proving their emptiness is the dismal rate of suicide in the society Montag lives in. When his own wife, Mildred, commits suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills, a team of handymen are dispatched to save her.