Censorship In Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury

For many people, books are a source of entertainment, information, and can provide an insight into life. However, some books are banned or censored due to information others may believe to be harmful or offensive (“First Amendment and Censorship”). Without books providing various, educational, and even controversial ideas, people would live in a world full of ignorance. The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury should not be banned or censored.

“Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain persons — individuals, groups, or government officials — find objectionable or dangerous” (“First Amendment and Censorship”). When one finds information they feel to inappropriate and may pose as a risk to others due to public access,

The novel Fahrenheit 451 is a victim of censorship among many banned or censored books. “Fahrenheit 451 is an indictment of censorship and expurgation, so the fact that the book was expurgated and marketed by the publisher that way for 13 years before the author became aware of the abuse is particularly ironic” (Karolides et al. 448-449). The publisher had changed certain incidents within the story like describing a reference to cleaning fluff out of a human’s navel to a reference to cleaning out ones ears. The author himself did not know until a friend told him. Ray Bradbury demanded for the company to withdraw the expurgated versions of the books to which they complied. Another incident of censorship if the book was within a school. Karolides et al. found that when

Censorship, however, can decrease the competition of ideas which gives superiors more power to influence and bend society under their control. Nevertheless, the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights gives the people of the United States the right to hear all the perspectives of an issue and make a decision of their own. It also gives one the right to speak, view, publish, etc. This limits the government, the superior, and its power over the people residing within the United States(“First Amendment and Censorship”). On the contrary, the people of the dystopian society within Fahrenheit 451 are “….so damned full, of ‘facts’ they feel stuffed, but absolutely ‘brilliant’ with information. Then they’ll feel they’re thinking, they’ll get a sense of motion without moving. And they’ll be happy, because facts of that sort don’t change. Don’t give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy….” This dystopian society is controlled by superiors who use fear, intimidation, and ignorance to their advantage. The fear and the intimidation over owning books and risking their life just to gain a little bit of knowledge. Yet, the ignorance of those who let technology overrun their lives gave the superiors the upper hand as the people wish for happiness. The “firemen” within the society are also tasked with destroying these books filled with unique