Fahrenheit 451 Freedom Analysis

Imagine living in a world where people are not allowed to read books or to have access to information. Living in this kind of a state might mentally cripple a person or even lead to a world where innovation does not exist, because people are not allowed to explore and think for themselves. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag demonstrates the difficult and isolating battle of one man against an oppressive government. In Montag’s struggle, he loses his job and his wife, yet he gains a sense of internal freedom by choosing to leave the city and to continue to read books. In order to control the citizens of the dystopian civilization displayed in Fahrenheit 451, the government censors the information the population receives about every detail in their culture, so indoctrination of the citizens is fairly easy to achieve; however, the nature of humans is to live in a state of freedom. Ultimately, Montag decides that having the freedom to read books

Bradbury demonstrates humanity’s desire to choose their own destiny through Montag’s pursuit of books at the cost of his life. While Montag’s wife easily succumbs to the government’s control, Montag proves himself to be a rebel, suggesting that some individuals cannot be controlled. Montag’s rebellious nature allows him to feel emancipated and enlightened, yet he becomes isolated when he has to flee the city and fight the government on his own, implying freedom is worth fighting for, and possibly even dying for. However, Montag realizes that one man cannot fight an entire government, so he joins a band of other rebels, likely in hopes of opening society’s eyes to the world around them. Ultimately, Bradbury suggests that it is important take an active role in improving society, even if it means standing up against the