Intelligence is a powerful yet destructive ability that is capable of disrupting or improving a society, depending on how it is used. The books of Fahrenheit 451 and Animal Farm display the capabilities of intelligence, and how, depending on how it is used, can effectively damage or further refine life for humankind. In the book Animal Farm, intelligence gives power to the wrong hands of individuals looking to exploit others for their own benefit, which leads to a corrupt and brainless system. These books both delve into the topic of conformity, specifically how a lack of knowledge leads to conformity in their respective worlds. Focusing on Fahrenheit 451, the book explains how intelligence and knowledge can possibly destroy or revitalize society. …show more content…
This point is evident from the way the other animals comply with the alterations the pigs make according to their ever-changing values and beliefs.This compliance from the farm animals could be traced back to their lack of intelligence. The pigs have not only learned to read and write like Man, but to also control and manipulate the farm animals into doing as they please, just as Man did. Other animals on the farm were not capable of adapting to the human language as quickly as the pigs, which led them to become inferior and conforming individuals of the farmhouse. Their lack of intelligence, critical thinking and autonomy of all of the farm animals, excluding the pigs, led to the overexploitation and conformity they displayed and endured. Similarly, the people of Fahrenheit 451 lacked both autonomy and knowledge of the world around them. The government of Fahrenheit 451 discourages its citizens from thinking of anything or anyone. Intelligence was highly discouraged, and being intelligent itself was not part of the norm. Many of the people that live in Montag’s world are mindless, careless individuals who are controlled by the powerful