Freedom of Speech or Mental Imprisonment?
“War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength”(George Orwell). In Ray Bradbury’s book ‘Fahrenheit 451’ he writes about a “perfect” world where reading is illegal and the speed limit is set for how slow you can drive instead of fast and firemen ironically start fires. Unfortunately, this perfect world was doomed to become a perfect nightmare. In comparison, our world is looking pretty great.
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them”(Ray Bradbury). In Bradbury’s utopia we can’t read? Well, at least not openly. The books are hidden in air vents and in hollowed out televisions; if found burnt by firemen who oddly are starting the fires instead of putting them out. There are very few books remaining in his world, all the great literature had been lost to the flames. Now in our world books are constantly read, written and treasured by all walks of life. The books are loved and awarded and not commonly burnt. Books are not just
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Laws are put in place for the well-being and health of the people, but in Bradbury’s utopia, it seems that the laws are more focused on benefiting the government. In Bradbury’s world you can be arrested for being a pedestrian or driving slower than 40 miles an hour. The government took away front porches to stop the citizens from questioning their laws and voicing their own opinions. Bradbury’s laws are put in place to stop the public from slowing down and noticing the beauties and peculiarities of their world. In contrast our laws are there to protect the public and encourage freedom of speech. Our speed limits are there to control how fast not slow we can drive. Walking and discussing our opinions with neighbours and families is not only legal, but embraced by the government and world. So ask yourself, would you rather be in a jail cell or walking down the street on a beautiful