Delusions In Fahrenheit 451

When I was in third grade, I was diagnosed with a mild rash illness called Fifth Disease. However, I was delusional about the situation, believing that my rash was caused by every condition except for Fifth Disease. In the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, society is built around these delusions, causing significant consequences for everyone. There are many ways that this phenomenon manifests in Fahrenheit 451. Sometimes texts are burned out of fear of enraging the populous. Other times characters will not see the importance of an issue. There are many texts in the story that support the idea that people should accept the truth, as well as allowing others to access the truth, because it provides an opportunity to learn and improve.

The clearest application of this theme is the scene where Captain Beatty talks about the role of the firemen. During this conversation, Beatty states, “Someone’s written a book about tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book” (Bradbury, 63). This dialog hints that the reason that books were burned in Fahrenheit 451 was that people were unhappy with the ideas contained inside them. The book did not cause cancer, rather it would

Faber, a retired English professor, is well aware of this when he states “Ten million men mobilized.… But say one million. It’s happier” (Bradbury, 94). He makes a keen observation about how people are willing to accept false information because it upholds their worldview. While the masses are likely unaware of this discrepancy, it is important to note that their reporters feel the need to give their viewers false information because doing otherwise will make their viewers uncomfortable, a great sin in their society. This pervasive rejection of the truth takes many other forms in Fahrenheit 451, including failing to make important connections that challenge their