Tatiyana Kar-Roy Landers - 3B Advanced English 1 22 March 2024 The Fragility of Censorship In the modern day, much of the public population would agree that censorship is not only unpleasant but ineffective; and stirs more distaste between populations and those in control. As generations continue to evolve, personal rights improve and become more inclusive, but many dystopian novels are built on the basis of censorship. However, a totalitarian government can’t ever have definite control over a population, as there will always be one or a group of outliers with views that contrast with theirs. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the surroundings of a censored society shape Montag’s loyalty to his career until he is exposed to ideas of free will, …show more content…
After a brief conversation about burning literature, Montag realizes “he [had worn] his happiness as a mask,” and by introducing new ideas to him, Clarisse has taken that reprieve from him (Bradbury 9). Their conversation marks the inciting event that ignites Montag’s inner animosity between his morals and the law, highlighting his realization that his superiors might not be all-knowing. This propels him into a lonely state of disrepair, as he is unsure of how to process and cannot discuss anything for fear of authoritative rebuttal. However, despite his fright, Montag’s curiosity grows as his restraint wears thin toward maintaining the status quo. In elaboration, Montag continues to question his society’s precedents thoroughly, until he witnesses a woman light herself on fire rather than forfeit her books, which is the moment that he recognizes that the laws are unscrupulous and must be amended. Plagued by visions of the woman’s brutal, self-inflicted incineration, he attempts to convince his wife that “[t]here must be something in books.to make a woman stay in a burning house,” rather than conform to society’s immoral principles