Similarities Between 1984 And Fahrenheit 451

Many individuals are found in a predicament about their actions and thoughts due to the environment around them. The thought of being labelled as different in society arouses fear in each individual. This fear causes the conformation of the greater society to what is believed as appropriate and not audacious to the society as a whole; therefore, an individual will lose originality and emotion. In the novels Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, and in 1984, by George Orwell, conformity is a source of power, while individuality makes one vulnerable, which is evident when examining the characters Beatty and O’Brien, Mildred and the daughter of Mr. Parsons, and Winston and Montag. In Fahrenheit 451, uniformity is symbolic and represents complete

However, there are individuals in the society of Fahrenheit 451 that have conformed due to absolute passion for conformity. They actually believe that books are the unquestionable sources of unhappiness and the true destruction of equality. Mildred Montag, the wife of Guy Montag, has not only conformed because she must, but because she truly believes in it. One of the events that occur in the novel is the betrayal of Mildred towards her beloved husband, Guy, after he recites a piece of poetry in front of her and a group of her friends while having tea. She sounds the alarm to warn the captain of what took place, and this is evident when the author explains, “The front door opened; Mildred came down the steps, running, one suitcase held with a dreamlike clenching the rigidity in her fist, as a beetle-taxi hissed to the curb. “Mildred!” She ran past with her body stiff, her face floured with powder, her mouth gone, without lipstick. “Mildred, you didn’t put in the alarm!”.” (Bradbury, 114) At this point, Guy realizes that his wife is indeed the one who sounded the alarm which brought the firemen to their house and then she left in the taxi without saying a word. After Guy had trusted that he could be open with his wife, she betrays him because the greater power has conformed her to the point where, no matter who it is, she will not allow them to break the rules and accept books in their lives as something

and Mrs. Parsons. Their daughter was not born during the time period before the Party and all the conformity of everyone. She is born into the society while everyone is already conformed, although she does not know any better. She is completely conformed to the point to which there is no filter for turning people in to the thought police. The evidence of complete conformity is shown when Winston Smith encounters Mr. Parsons in the Ministry of Love where he is being kept prisoner and when Winston asks Mr. Parsons why he is in prison, he explains to him, ““ It was my daughter,” said Parsons with a sort of doleful pride. “She listened at the key hole. Heard what I was saying, and nipped off to the patrols the very next day”.” (Orwell, 245) This is an example of the power that the Party that is inflicting the rules has, not only brainwashing the people to conform, but to betray anyone, even their loved ones, if they are disobedient or show any signs of individualism. In this case, Mr. Parsons is proud of his daughter due to the fact that he is fully conformed as well and will do anything to keep the party alive and