Examples Of Intellectualism In Fahrenheit 451

The concept of anti-intellectualism is to eliminate opportunities to acquire knowledge. In the society created by Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451, the capacity for higher level thinking is destroyed. Schools are shallow because they do not focus on higher level thinking in academics. Instead, there is a focus on recreation such as sports and television. This society burns books because their content is troublesome. The reason for this decision was because people were unable to formulate solutions to the problems that books created. They always take the easiest route resulting in their society neglecting books and the ideas inside them. Bradbury uses anti-intellectualism to demonstrate that by controlling what a society is exposed to and limiting their ideas, they will conform. In the society that Montag lives, people are consumed by distractions. When Montag was going to Faber's house and an ad for “Denham’s Dentifrice” was screaming through the speakers of a subway car to the point where Montag couldn't even think. “ ‘ Shut up, shut up, shut up!’ It was a plea, a cry so terrible that Montag found himself on his feet, the shocked inhabitants of the loud car staring moved back from this man with the insane gorged face, dry mouth, and the flopping book in his fist” (74). people are accustomed to advertisements as constant background noise. They are used to hearing the same jingle or sound

Montag goes through a transformation of personal growth when he is strong enough to make decisions about his daily life. Clarisse’s curiosity was contagious because it affected Montag. He then tried to have Millie question her life, but she was too scared, or controlled. She was too brainwashed to act. You can see how questions encourage conversation, curiosity, and change. This is what the government was trying to