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Fahrenheit 451 Unit 1 Literary Analysis

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Throughout various stories, writers place main characters in a situation in which they become oppressed by an overwhelming force. This force obstructs the character from achieving something that they want. As a result, this state of oppression enables the protagonist to strive to overcome this issue which they face. Xiomara Batista, the protagonist of The Poet X, faces an oppressive family environment due to religion and the lack of creative expression. Nnaemeka, the protagonist of “Marriage is a Private Affair,” by Chinua Achebe, struggles against cultural rules that limit her freedom. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag faces society as a repressive force. In each of these three stories, the protagonist faces a repressive force from …show more content…

It also highlights how Xiomara wants freedom to express herself and is tired of the societal expectations placed on her. Xiomara’s struggle against society and family culture creates opportunities for her to express herself and defy expectations. Nnaemeka, in “Marriage is a Private Affair,” faces issues with religious tradition and society’s norms when he announces that he will marry someone his father does not approve of. Nnaemeka decides to marry Nene, who is not part of Nnaemeka and his father, Okeke’s, tribe, angering the community. Because of this issue, Okeke treats his son coldly and rejects him. Nnaemeka’s oppression by his own family and community serves as a testament to the effects of enforced marriage in many cultures. Okeke not only shuns his son, but also Nene: Teacher, did you say that? If you consider that a qualification for a good wife, I would like to point out to you, Emeka, that no Christian woman should teach. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that women should keep silent. Owe it to you, my son, as a duty to show you what is right and what is wrong. Whoever put this idea into your head might as well have cut your …show more content…

Okeke proves to act as an oppressor to Nnameka by not giving him his approval for their marriage. He expresses his beliefs against women becoming educators, which reflects on how their culture views women taking up jobs as teachers. Okeke’s dependence on interpreting the Bible literally caused him to develop these oppressive beliefs. Nnaemeka’s oppressive religious and cultural circumstances affect him and his fiancé. Finally, Guy Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, grapples with an oppressive society which affects his everyday life. Living with his wife, Mildred Montag, Guy Montag works as a fireman whose job is to burn books. He lives his day to day life never questioning any further about why he burns books, until he meets Clarisse. Clarisse teaches Montag about what life was like with books, opening Montag’s eyes to the oppressive environment present throughout his whole life. Montag experiences this brainwashing in action, especially with his boss, Beatty, said. We must all be

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In the book “Fahrenheit 451”, Guy Montag is a firefighter who doesn’t stop fires, but starts them. When books are found in someone’s house, the firefighters rush in and burn it all down. But when a peculiar girl named Clarisse McClellan moves in next door, Montag starts to wonder about the world around him. Two of the many things that change in Montag’s life are he sees the world’s natural details and is trying to skip work as much as he can.

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Some people struggle in the outside world, while others struggle in the inside world, or with themselves. In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, the main character Guy Montag is conflicting with himself. Initially, Montag thinks that he is happy and content with his life as a fireman burning books, but after meeting a peculiar neighbor, he realizes that he is struggling internally with his happiness in his life. In the beginning of the book, Montag’s thoughts to himself illustrates himself as a satisfied man.

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Denying and questioning these societal rules, Montag talks to his boss, Captain Beatty about the books since Beatty's suspicion that Montag stole a book is growing. This conversation has a significant impact on why Guy does what he does. The quote “_____” can prove this because it shows that Monatg is questioning whether the government is hiding everything for a good reason for the town or if there is something more that he does not know. Everything that Montag does is for the benefit of the society. When he started off as being one of the followers of the rules and not questioning why he was burning books, he later realises that he is not only burning books but, however, cutting ties with art, past history, literature, and civilisation in general.

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The novel titled “Fahrenheit 451“ has many different hardships shown throughout the novel. Montag, a character from the novel “Fahrenheit 451” responds, and fights back to injustice in this novel, in quite a significant way. The examples from the novel are “stealing books”, “Putting books in firemen's houses”, and “Escaping Society”. Different hardships are portrayed in the novel, but the main struggle that Montag deals with in society is the extreme censorship that comes along with daily life. No one is allowed to own books and no one is allowed to think freely.

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After this, Montag begins secretly stealing books as his life changes, and he learns how oppressive society has become with no emphasis on critical thinking. As the story develops, Montag makes a difficult decision on whether he should conform to society or establish his beliefs and revolt. Ultimately, he meets and joins a group of rebels working on spreading the important ideas again. Guy Montag's character development profoundly contributes to the novel's exploration of individualism and rebellion against society's restrictive norms through his experiences with other people and his job. At the story's onset, Montag meets his inquisitive neighbor, Clarisse McClellan, who leads him to question his societal purpose.

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Annotated Works Cited Eller, Edward E. " An overview of Fahrenheit 451. " Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2014.

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