Knowledge In Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury

Knowledge is the power of knowledge. A common phrase used throughout our society, and whether perceived positively or negatively, it is, without a doubt, true. This theme is especially prevalent in literature, used commonly in dystopian genres specifically to represent how a lack of knowledge can create disaster and even apocalypse. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, a story detailing a futuristic society where books are prohibited, reading illegal, and television reigning supreme, describes exceptionally the effects from a lack of knowledge. In a society where reading is not only outlawed, but socially unacceptable, it presents a case of what may truly result from the decision of a society to forego books entirely, to essentially outlaw knowledge

Without books made available, this ability vanishes, washed away by waves of carelessness, ones that cause a person to no longer question the world around them and the society in which they live. This is the exact concept that Ray Bradbury sought to make the world aware of in his novel, what would truly happen if books were to fade away, what knowledge would be lost, and how this would change the very consciousness of society. Depriving a world of knowledge relinquishes a person’s ability to critically think, as Bradbury showcases through the character of Faber’s opinions on television, “It tells you what to think and blasts it in. It must be, right? It seems so right, too. It rushes you on so quickly to its own conclusions your mind hasn’t time to protest,” Despite the immense prevalence of television in the world of Fahrenheit 451, Faber still sees it for what it is worth, a force used to indoctrinate. An incredibly affective force, truth be told, since almost every character we see in the novel not only lives with technology, but is also addicted to it, the satisfaction it provides them with being told exactly what to do, think, buy, consume, etc. Consequently, the characters solely think what they are told to, to never wander outside of those parameters, to never critically engage with the ideas they are presented, instead only