Foreseeable Future: Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Erica Cochran

Mrs. Hebert

Introduction to Literature

17 February 2023

Title to be carefully curated in the foreseeable future

Author Ray Bradbury released Fahrenheit 451 in 1953. This dystopian novel was written in the midst of the Red Scare, which was a hysteria amongst the people of America regarding the threat of communists and communism in the United States. Influenced by this event and the burning of books that were happening in Nazi Germany, Barbury wrote this book. During a radio interview in 1956, Ray Bradbury claimed, “I wrote this book at a time when I was worried about the way things were going in this country… Too many people were afraid of their own shadows; there was a thread of book burning… I wanted to do some sort of

Despite the seeming simplicity of this rule, some ostracized citizens find this law difficult, even impossible, to follow. When those citizens are caught breaking the law, their lives are destroyed. First by the firefighters who burn their beloved books and homes. Then by the police, who take them away and lock them up for an undetermined, but likely indefinite, period of time. Yet, Montag, who is able to witness this destruction firsthand, gives into temptation and reads books. Unsurprisingly, his life quickly unravels, and he loses his home, wife, job, innocence, and his mask of happiness. In the face of these losses, Montag was still able to gain valuable benefits from the books. Most importantly, he discovered the truth of his world and himself. He was also able to make connections, true connections that were far more meaningful than the connection his wife had with the walls in their home. Ultimately, he gained ambition to achieve his newfound purpose and

At the beginning of the book, Montag has very little purpose in living. He simply drifts through his life. He goes to work, sleeps, eats, and repeats the cycle every day. He had nothing to look forward to daily and further on in the future. But, after involving himself with the books, he gained a purpose. At first, this purpose was to help Faber follow through with the plan that he had cultivated. Montag said, “If you thought it would be a plan worth trying, I’d have to take your word it would help.” (Barbury 82) He wanted to help Faber change society and reveal the power of reading to the citizens who were under such governmental and technological control. Unlike before, Montag had something to reach for, something that he truly wanted to achieve, not a task that was set upon him by a more powerful organization. Later on, his original purpose evolved and shifted slightly. Rather than focusing on forcing people to come around and see the truth about life and books alike, he sought to preserve books for future generations that were ready to be changed by books. He follows the lead of the nomads who claim they are “nothing more than dust jackets for books” (146) Montag wanted to be a part of this effort to keep books alive in people, so he memorized parts of the Book of Ecclesiastes as he is lying on the ground with bombs going off in the city he