Book Thief And Fahrenheit 451: A Comparative Analysis

Books have always been an alternate world to escape to and learn more about the world around you. But that’s a privilege some do not have. In Fahrenheit 451, books and burned at all costs and in The Book Thief, Liesel must steal to be able to read and learn about the world. Within both texts, books play a vital role. In The Book Thief, books provide hope, education, and escape while in Fahrenheit 451 books provide knowledge and freedom. Books play a crucial role in both stories, with some similarities in the roles. In The Book Thief, books are seen as a way to provide unity. “...and soon, a quietness started bleeding through the crowded basement. By page three, everyone was silent but Liesel” (Zusak 380). Unity is achieved, as Liesel is able to calmly read to the residents of Himmel Street and pull them together in their crisis. Additionally in Fahrenheit 451, “And when the war’s over, some day, some year, the books can be written again, the

For example, in The Book Thief the books represent hope in a war devastated world, where as in Fahrenheit 451 the books are powerful resources, taken away by the government. “Those images were the world, and it stewed in her as she sat with the lovely books and their manicured titles” (Zusak 521). These books are able to take Liesel away from the messy, destructive world she lives in and give her hope about a better tomorrow. However, in Fahrenheit 451 things are a bit different, “So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it” (Bradbury 55). In the fictional universe Bradbury has created, books have become a weapon and are seen as dangerous. Why? Because the well-read man has more knowledge and is smarter about the way the world works. The intellectual is a threat, because he knows the suppression of books is wrong and not only that, he is smart enough to know who to target and who the villains really