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Censorship In Fahrenheit 451

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Today, most people are aware of real-life examples that use censorship, such as nations North Korea and the Soviet Union during the rule of Stalin that use censorship to control their nations and establish stability. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel that is a fictitious example of censorship, and it 's about a society that burns books. The main character, Guy Montag, believes he’s perfectly happy with a stable job of being a firefighter, owning a house, and having a family. However, as the story progresses Montag meets a young, curious girl named Clarisse who is aware of the truths of the world beyond the limits of censorship. She shows Montag what a real society can be like, not one that controls information and discovery via censorship. As Montag realizes this, he slowly discovers that his previous feelings of satisfaction with his typical, stable life mask an actual unhappiness as he tries to find a way to become aware of the real world through reading books and passing on this knowledge to others. Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury suggests the idea that even though censorship establishes peace and order, it keeps humans from striving to understand their world and think for themselves; this becomes clear to readers when the main …show more content…

Throughout the story, Montag learns that the peaceful society he lived in has kept him from being able to learn and be curious about his world. Seeing Montag’s struggles as he tries to find a way to reverse the censorship and learn for himself, the main question we can ask ourselves is this, “Would we give up our ability to freely obtain knowledge to establish nationwide

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Fahrenheit 451 has an astonishingly accurate future depiction of a society in which everyone is too distracted by technology, so they ignore most of the world around them. The community members are not aware of nature or other human beings, and they never take time to actually think deeply about life and ideas in general. Many high school and middle school teach this book in curriculums nationwide, because the addiction to technology and hatred of books portrayed in the book is beginning to be prevalent in our society. This book also glorifies individuality by admiring a girl who is different from everyone else. In the past, many parents have decided to challenge this book due to the violence, the religious discrimination, the foul language, and the references to drinking and smoking.

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A simple book written with the best intentions; Ray brings to the world Fahrenheit 451 in 1953 (Kipen). Having World War II influencing Ray’s ideas for the book. Fahrenheit 451 brings ideas and points that Ray Bradbury felt the need to write and open the public’s eyes to, as to how technology is changing people’s lives and they are leaving behind books and their critical thinking. Ray Bradbury brings a book about censorship and how banning or in this case burning books does not keep people from the curiosity of the message books have. A big irony arises and his book becomes banned and censored, exactly the same way as in his book.

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Ju Hee Kim Mrs. Maxwell AP Literature 9 August 2015 Censorship? Technology? Or Both? In the scholarly article, Sam Weller: Ray Bradbury’s 180 on Fahrenheit 451, Sam Weller clarifies the controversial theme of censorship in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

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Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a uniquely shocking and provocative novel about a dystopian society set in a future where reading is outlawed, thinking is considered a sin, technology is at its prime, and human interaction is scarce. Through his main protagonist, Guy Montag, Bradbury brings attention to the dangers of a controlled society, and the problems that can arise from censorship. As a fireman, it is Guy's job to destroy books, and start fires rather than put them out. After meeting a series of unusual characters, a spark is ignited in Montag and he develops a desire for knowledge and a want to protect the books. Bradbury's novel teaches its readers how too much censorship and control can lead to further damage and the repetition of history’s mistakes through the use of symbolism, imagery, and motif.

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Fahrenheit 451 shows how people’s rights to free speech and media are essential to a free thinking society. Guy Montag, the main character, is a firefighter, which in his futuristic society means he burns books for the government because they are illegal due to the potentially controversial ideas they contain. Montag meets a girl named Clarisse, who helps him realize he’s not really content in how he’s living his life and in his relationships, which begins to change his viewpoint on the society’s standards. His wife Mildred, as well as the rest of society, are highly materialistic and shallow in their daily activities and interactions. Montag eventually steals a book during the fireman’s raid on a house, which leads him to seek out a man named Faber, who is an educated man, and helps encourage Montag to take steps to action.

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The world gets crueler everyday. There are new crimes being committed daily, and sometimes it can be because of what people are subjected to. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, this topic is discussed. In order to create a more positive environment, the world needs censorship. Without it, kids would be surrounded by bad influences, people would always find topics to argue about, and lives can even be ruined without it.

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In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury conceptualizes a society based on censorship. In the society depicted in the novel, books are burned when they are discovered in anyone 's possession. Montag’s job is to burn books and the houses containing them to ash. “‘Do you ever read any of the books you burn?’ ‘That’s against the law’”

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Bradbury's portrayal of a dystopian society serves as a warning against the dangers of censorship and the importance of freedom of expression and independent thought. The novel continues to be relevant today, as it highlights the importance of protecting knowledge and ideas, and the dangers of a society that values conformity over individuality. Another important theme in the novel is the idea of censorship and its impact on society. In Fahrenheit 451, censorship is used as a tool of control by the government, as books are banned and burned to prevent the spread of dissenting ideas. This censorship serves to maintain control over the population, as the citizens are kept ignorant and easily manipulated.

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The 1950s was not only a time of a growing threat of communism and the fear of nuclear war, but it was also a time of increasing satisfaction in the latest consumer product: the television. TVs captivated the American public to the point where books were being forgotten about. Though books were still being bought and sold, some never made it to the shelf because of the growing amount of government censorship. The government not only censored books, but they also censored movies, content on radios, and other creative works. This censorship controlled what the American public read, watched, and heard, which in turn limited the information available to the public.

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Censorship can affect everyone in the world in many different ways. In the case of the book “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, it has a negative effect on the city. The government banishing the books from society is taking away the power of knowledge from the people. Knowledge is a way of power and with that, the more knowledge one has the more power they will have. This is also the case in slavery in the U.S in the 18th century.

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Finally, he uses the element that citizens have a fear of the outside world; which, is shown by Montag’s wife Mildred, and Mildred’s friends. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury describes the theme, censorship, which causes limited power and freedom of thought in a society, through the different elements of a dystopian society. Citizens in the novel live in a dehumanized state due to the amount of censorship their government establishes. The government believes that if people are curious, then they are a danger to the society.

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477 Words | 2 Pages

Citizens in this society are denied access to knowledge and ideas, and their freedom of expression is limited. For example, Montag's wife, who has been normalized to the new society of not reading, is a dull person, who does not think logically or in a smart way. Montag on the other hand, always thought in a more logical way, which only advances once he starts reading. This serves as a reminder of how critical it is to protect the right to read and access a variety of information sources.

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Fahrenheit 451 –Analytical Essay There are a few common aspects of the setting of Fahrenheit 451, a book by Ray Bradbury and today’s society. Just like any books being burned in Fahrenheit 451, our government holds certain information as classified and does not let it out to the general public. Both societies use censorship as a way of limiting knowledge. Oversight and surveillance continue to be allowed at an alarming rate and was a part of Bradbury’s concerns. Fitting in and being "normal” or mainstream are not as accepted in either setting.

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Through the development of Montag, the main character of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, the importance of freedom of thought and ideas is not only stressed, but shown as an ideal worth dying for. “It was a pleasure to burn.”

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Books are banned and burned. Feelings begin to fade. All written imagination and controversial thoughts are considered illegal crimes. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel written by Ray Bradbury in the early 1950’s. The novel primarily focuses on a fictional U.S society within the 21st century, where books and literature are illegal.

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