Manipulation In Fahrenheit 451

Imagine a society that claims to ensure the happiness of its citizens by only allowing them to view information that comes from content-controlled media. Some individuals may find comfort in their limited scope of knowledge but others become aware of the oppressive environment of life under an egregious tyrannical society. A world without independent thought and citizens brainwashed with ideas is what the characters in “Fahrenheit 451” were facing. Through reading this novel it is unveiled to us the dangers of a society of citizens deprived of individual thoughts. Where the manipulation and control of information by an authoritarian regime lead to the erosion of personal freedoms, the suppression of intellectual curiosity, and the dehumanization

The novel takes place in a future where technology reigns and one's intellectual pursuits are deemed "too perilous". The citizens who were once firemen who extinguished fires now burn books. The main character Guy Montag wasn’t a typical hero. He started as an accomplice to the government's destruction of information, his job was to burn books. At the beginning of the story, Montag takes pleasure in his job, believing that burning books is a necessary task. He sees no issue with his society and is content with the role he has in it. During one of Guy’s book burnings he says, "It was a pleasure to burn," this truly captures Montag's initial contentment with his duties as a firefighter. However, Montag's feelings will soon change after he first meets his neighbor Clarrise McClellan. She is a young woman who stands out from the many conformists of their society. Clarisse opens Montag's eyes to the beauty of nature, the power of genuine human connection, and the importance of questioning the status quo. Through her influence, Montag begins to question the purpose of his job. As Montag delves deeper into his doubts, he says, "We need not to be alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something

She would rather be burned alive with his books than leave them. This experience leaves an impact on Guy because he then feels an urgency to steal a book from the scene. He’s seen the significance literature has had on other people and felt compelled to see what was so precious about it and why his totalitarian government seeks to suppress it. This quest for knowledge and truth leads Montag to join a group of rebels who memorize books to preserve their contents in the hopes of rebuilding a society that embraces intellectual freedom. Throughout his journey, Montag encounters various individuals who help shape his understanding of the power of books. One such encounter occurs when he meets an old man named Faber, who says, "The books are to remind us what asses and fools we are. They’re Caesar's praetorian guard, whispering as the parade roars down the avenue, 'Remember, Caesar, thou art