Banned Books or Burned Books: Fahrenheit 451’s Warning About Censorship in Media. In Fahrenheit 451, where books are scorched for the crime of simply existing, Ray Bradbury points out the parallels between the dystopian society he crafted and the ever corrupt society we live in today. In recent news, book bans are becoming more and more common with the creation of many conservative groups whose aim is to remove books not fitting with the status quo of normality. However, these book bans often have detrimental effects on society and education as they can prevent important stories from being told, hinder early development, and stifle individuality, all leading to potential lifelong consequences. Books are mirrors into which people can reflect …show more content…
Taking away a tool that is powerful and necessary can have the worst of repercussions, especially in children where the breadth of their horizons dictates everything. Although we ban books instead of burning them, the story still serves as a cautionary tale of how censorship can be taken too far and lead to devastating consequences. “ ‘You weren’t there, you didn’t see,’ he said. ‘There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing.’ ‘She was simple minded.’ ‘She was as rational as you and I, more so perhaps, and we burnt her’” (Bradbury 51). Montag has a revelation that books must have some innate value or merit to them, as the old lady was willing to give up her life for them. Mildred claimed that she had to have been crazy, however Montag, who is gradually opening his eyes, knows differently. Books are not just physical items made of paper and binding, they are the ideas and thoughts that inspire them. People must grasp that it is not about a book being removed from a single school district, it is about the ideas and stories those books carry (Alter 7). Again, reaffirming that it is not