Free Thought And Expression In Fahrenheit 451

Free Thought and Expression The use of censorship in society is a difficult, divisive, and complex topic that has been discussed and debated throughout centuries. Throughout the novel, censorship is used as a tool to uphold and enforce societal authority and dominance by prohibiting reading. In this society, firemen are entrusted to destroy and burn any literature they come across. The dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, showcases how censorship is used as a means of societal control, and its impacts on society and the value of intellectual freedom. By using censorship as an act of control, the government is able to maintain its authority, power, and prevents oppositions and criticisms. Firemen, who are in charge

She believes that this unfortunate event was caused by Helen’s own faults and not the unfairness of society and the government, showcasing how censorship can lead to ignorance. Mildred’s censorship from literature and overall, from her own thoughts and expression, causes her to be ignorant and selfish; she worries about her and Montag’s future, instead of circumstances. Not only does censorship keep citizens, like Mildred, from questioning the events and the power, it also results in society becoming unprogressive and unstable, leading to a dystopia. The negative effects on society from this suppression, prevents intellectual advancements, like sympathy and

Even fireworks, for all their prettiness, come from the chemistry of the earth. Yet somehow we think we can grow, feeding on flowers and fireworks, without completing the cycle back to reality.” (83)

The government uses censorship as a way to prevent citizens from the “harder” parts of life, but after Montag opened his eyes to reality, he finally understood how challenges are needed for growth in life and intellectuals. He serves as a representative and metaphor for the importance of intellectual freedom in a society that condemns it. Without the ability to express one’s own identity, society will be unable to advance and will remain stagnant, and individual citizens will be unable to form their own distinctive ideas and opinions. Varieties of perspectives and ideas are needed for this to occur. Fahrenheit 451 highlights and exposes the consequences of censorship, and how it controls society and influences it. Without perspectives, views, and other ideas, society shapes into an ignorant, selfish loot of citizens, further leading it to a dystopia. By being both ignorant and selfish, it causes citizens to also be unable to form their own opinion and ideas, without the government, suppressing their intellectual freedom. This novel demonstrates how literature is needed in both modern society and Montag’s society to be