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Comparisons between fahrenheit 451 and modern society
Book analysis fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 literary analysis
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In Fahrenheit 451, the characters are ruled by a totalitarian government who control all aspects of their lives. The government promotes TV and technology in the society, so that people won’t have time to think about the faults in the government. In order to convert the people into mindless robots, the government burns books due to its controversial ideas which provoke thoughts. Many people are clueless about the harsh world they live in, yet they desire to remain ignorant and live in a fantasy world away from the cold reality. Ignorance may be blissful for a short period of time, but without acknowledging the problems, the solutions will never occur.
Knowledge is Important Could the world, as it is known today, still exist without knowledge? In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, the society that Montag lives in is shielded from knowledge. In Montag’s world reading books is illegal to read books because the people are afraid that the books might offend people. However, instead of helping the society, the absence of knowledge has made the people in their society ignorant and unaccepting of change. Knowledge is important because it provides power, educates ignorant people, and helps express individuality.
The Dark Side of Ignorance in Fahrenheit 451 The question, can a perfect world ever exist, arises innumerable times throughout Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. Along with being a degree at which paper burns, the number 451 also represents the stripping away of freedom and the loss of individuality. Portrayed in a society in which everything is the opposite of what we believe today, the symbolic devices water, fire, and the phoenix, are used to represent a seemingly perfect society that is in fact imperfect. This Utopian society, dressed up as Utopia, relies on the ignorance of its citizens and their unwillingness to seek knowledge.
Bradbury displays ignorance vs. knowledge by revealing Beatty's true colors and having him describe how its better for the people to be happy and unknowing than unhappy and knowing. As the antagonist, Beatty, meets with Montag, he speaks about ignorance vs. knowledge to montag in a direct way. Beatty articulates about it in the following manner: “Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change” (Bradbury 60).
People don’t want perfection, they want to be content with life. But ignoring the real troubles does not mean that society is content, it means society is oblivious. By society not taking action towards the problems in the world, that is no better than the people in the book Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury wrote a cautionary tale putting his prediction of the future into the book Fahrenheit 451. His prediction was that people would become so absorbed to their “barber shop families” and “seashell radios” (Bradbury) that they have no concept of world problems.
(AGG) As Daniel J. Boorstin had clarified, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” (Goodreads) This relates to the government form Fahrenheit 451 trying to hide the truth from the society, and had eventually killed them. (BS-1) The government tries to control the amount of knowledge and take advantage of the lack of knowledge.
“The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance,” -Socrates. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag enjoys to burn books, but after meeting a girl, Clarisse, who loves book, he begins to question whether burning books is the right thing to do. He learns more about his society is actually doing and decides to stop people from burning books. By exploring Montag’s obedience to society, questioning authority, and outward rebellion we can see how this demonstrates how Montag changes as a result of his conflict within his dystopian society as it connects to Knowledge vs. Ignorance.
Bombs, guns, suicides, homicides, and murders won’t destroy a society, ignorance will. Guy Montag lives in a technology filled dystopian future where they burn books and knowledge. As one of the book burning fireman Montag starts to question his beliefs and how everyone act the same. He ends up stealing books and killing his old friend and runs away into the woods, just before his old world gets bombed. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury exposes the idea that ignorance and lack of knowledge lead to violence and destruction; this becomes clear when burning of books start a war and end up destroying the civilization without the people even realizing.
Additionally, in today's society, technology has led to distractions from reality, resulting in a lack of humanity and willful ignorance, just as Bradbury predicted. At Mildred's dinner party, Montag silently observes the superficial conversations between his wife and their neighbors. Feeling disturbed, he responds, “Did you hear them, did you hear these monsters talking about monsters? Oh God, the way they jabber about people and their own children and themselves and the way they talk about their husbands and the way they talk about war, dammit, I stand here and I can’t believe it!”
As Montag learns the truth about his society, the theme that without the ability to think freely, ignorance takes over is revealed. At the beginning of the story, Montag is speaking with Clarisse and she mentions the school system. Clarisse explains, “‘We never ask questions, or at least most don’t; they just run the answers at you, bing, bing, bing’” (27). Clarisse implies that the school system is bad due to the fact that kids do not ask questions. Without asking questions, kids are ignorant of other possibilities.
As kids, we are made to believe that making mistakes is a heinous crime. We are taught that in the case of an error, we should go to every length necessary to conceal both our misstep and previous case of ignorance. For the longest time, I believed this lie and lived in a bubble terrified of making even the simplest mistake or showing the slightest bit of uncertainty. It wasn't until I read the novel, Fahrenheit 451, that I came to realize making mistakes is one of the best things any person can do. One specific quote from the novel highlights the importance of embracing ignorance and reads, "If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn."
Wayne Dyer once said, “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don 't know anything about.” In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, ignorance is a common theme portrayed throughout the novel. It sets the impression of how all of the characters feel due to a society that has outlawed books. Guy Montag is a firefighter, whose job is to burn the books. Yet, he often steals them without the chief firefighter, or anyone else knowing.
The Zegota The Zegota was a group of brave people who saved thousands of lives and risked their own lives in the process to save others during World War Two while the Nazi were causing formidable views into the people. The Zegota helped thousands of Jews escape Nazi controlled europe demonstrating that more people should have been saved by others standing up to the Nazis. Background The Zegota was a government financed organized in Europe that hid Jews during World War Two why would people risk their lives to save others? “Zagota played a crucial role in the rescue of several thousand Jews who had survived the massive deportations in the summer of 1942” (Tomaszewski).
16 years ago a wonderful child named Joseph Bishop came into this world screaming and crying to the proud parents Lois and Cj Bishop in Jefferson, Indiana. Joseph is still screaming today but for the things that are most important to him. As a young kid Joseph was very unique, every night he would have his ear rubbed just so he could fall asleep. Joseph was a rebellious toddler for instance, when his mom said he couldn't have any cake and when his mom went to the restroom, he attempted to get a piece of cake and failed.
Is ignorance bliss, or do knowledge and learning provide true happiness? The book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury depicts a dystopian society, the main character in the novel Guy Montag is a fireman, in his society books have been banned by the government in fear of independent-thinking by their citizen. Montag starts to question the government and whether the government 's motives behind books are just. In the story Fahrenheit 451 the main character, Montag is constantly questioning his decisions, ideas, and what is wrong and what is right. In Fahrenheit 451 Montag 's encounters, the parlor walls, books, and people whom he meets reveal the idea that knowledge leads to happiness and that, with ignorance, you only wear a mask of happiness.
