ipl-logo

The Government In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

441 Words2 Pages

The world is constantly changing, with each day bringing new thoughts and perspectives. However, these fresh ways of looking at life can have a variety of effects; some may impact the world positively while others are the first blossoms of destruction. This can be seen in the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, where Ray Bradbury describes the life of Guy Montag, who lives in a world where the government has outlawed books for the fear of melancholy. After discovering the wonder of reading, he joins a book-loving group of outcasts who use their knowledge to bring new perspectives to their superficial society. A theme begins to reveal itself as the government manipulates the citizens into believing simply what they want them to believe about the …show more content…

For instance, in an initial conversation between Montag and Clarisse, she informs him “that a long time ago, houses used to burn by accident and they needed firemen to stop the flames.” The extent to which the government censors the information that is available to the citizens is evident in this conversation between Montag and Clarisse. Montag’s unawareness of the past (particularly of the firemen) shows the fixed mindset that the government has implanted into its citizens in that the way society currently is, is the way society has always been. In other words, the society that the citizens know today is the only one that has ever existed. In the long run, this leaves no space for innovative and revolutionary ideas that may challenge the authority of the government and even spark a rebellion. In continuation, when Montag realizes that he can’t run from the authorities forever, Granger assures him that they’ll utilize “‘a scapegoat to end things with a bang.’” (148) He informs him that “‘it saves face’” by giving the intrigued audience what they yearn. Public appearances are an integral part of Montag’s society because it shows the people what they are trained to want to see, which is an essential part of the censorship process. By using a substitute for Montag, the government hides its failure in finding a felon to convey the message that rebelling against society’s norms is

Show More
Related

Of Government Differences In Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury

1050 Words | 5 Pages

    Prior to his transformation, Montag upholds the ideals of conformative society; the citizens see no reason to doubt because they all demonstrate the principles the controlling government enforces such as dehumanization and ignorance. When Montag meets Clarisse McClellan, she says the citizens “all say the same things and nobody says anything different from anyone else” (Bradbury 28).  Clarisse strays from the typical beliefs and behavior, instead choosing to question the community’s core principles; due to this, she has the ability to understand the similarities between the citizens in the dystopian society. In contrast, Montag cannot comprehend how the inhabitants are all reflections of one another. Owing to this, Montag is unable to

Read More

How Did Fahrenheit 451 Change

937 Words | 4 Pages

Overall, it may be said that Montag is justified from breaking off from the government’s rules or the “norms” of the society. Montag was trying to change the world by showing that books are important to human lives. Just like Ray bradbury, he wanted to show that books are important, and we need to keep them in society or else we will lose sight of our past and make similar mistakes in the future. Books give life to the world, they could be about the past, or it could be made up, but it can make people

Read More

Coming Of Age Journey In Fahrenheit 451

756 Words | 4 Pages

Ray Bradbury 's novel Fahrenheit 451 delineates a society where books and quality information are censored while useless media is consumed daily by the citizens. Through the use of the character Mildred as a foil to contrast the distinct coming of age journey of the protagonist Guy Montag, Bradbury highlights the dangers of ignorance in a totalitarian society as well as the importance of critical thinking. From the beginning of the story, the author automatically epitomizes Mildred as a direct embodiment of the rest of the society: she overdoses, consumes a vast amount of mindless television, and is oblivious to the despotic and manipulative government. Bradbury utilizes Mildred as a symbol of ignorance to emphasize how a population will be devoid of the ability to think critically while living in a totalitarian society. Before Montag meets Clarisse, he is

Read More

Government Control In Fahrenheit 451 Essay

1260 Words | 6 Pages

As Harry Browne once said, “Since no one but you can know what 's best for you, government control can 't make your life better.” In Fahrenheit 451, a book by Ray Bradbury, he shows ways on how the government is controlling society with surveillance, technology, and censorship. The government gets to decide what is to be done and what comes in and out of that country. In the novel, it shows how the firefighter, Guy Montag, is different than the other people in that society. These aspects of government control are directly going towards Montag because the advance in technology put into the watchdogs that are in Bradbury’s novel is unbelievable.

Read More

Government And Literacy In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

662 Words | 3 Pages

Is that why we’re hated so much?”. Montag realizes that the world he lives is run by the government who secludes them from the rest of the world. While the rest of the world it starving they are living in this unrealistic virtual reality. Where everything is handed to them and the T.V. walls keep them away from reality. In other parts of the world these same actions have occurred in our past which makes this so important to keep books and our

Read More

Ignorance In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

1008 Words | 5 Pages

To those unable to diversify their perspectives through communication, ignorance is bliss. Evidently, when writing his groundbreaking novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury was acutely familiar with this concept. The story takes place in a dystopian society in which books have been banned, and consequently, meaningful interactions and relationships cease to exist. Readers follow fireman Guy Montag’s epic journey of not only discovering himself and the world around him, but doing everything in his power to change it for the better. Along the way, he encounters abundantly many people who burden either him or themselves with their utter incognizance and refuse to learn from experience and modify their behavior.

Read More

Power And Knowledge Struggle In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

1260 Words | 6 Pages

In Fahrenheit 451 Montag and the rest of his society have to live in a government that nearly controls everything. One character in the beginning, Clarisse, points out many flaws about their government and how controlling it is, which can also be applied to the book and power struggle throughout the novel. When talking to Montag when around the time they first met, she says, "Oh, just my mother and father and uncle sitting around, talking. It 's like being a pedestrian, only rarer. My uncle was arrested another time-did I tell you?-for being a pedestrian.

Read More

Montag's Rebellion In Fahrenheit 451

1179 Words | 5 Pages

As Clarisse questions why Montag begins to think about his actions and how they affect people as well as society. The reader realizes Montag is a puppet in the dystopian society following the protocol as he is told by society. Montag’s inability to reason with what he is doing makes him gullible. Montag’s society would consider him dangerous within his society, but in reality he is escaping what is a dysfunctional.

Read More

Justice In Fahrenheit 451

971 Words | 4 Pages

“[The firemen] turned, their faces like blanched meat, streaming sweat; [Montag] beat their heads, knocking off their helmets and bringing them down on themselves. They fell and lay without moving. ”(Bradbury, 113) By doing so, Montag openly protests against the society that he lives

Read More

Examples Of Censorship In Fahrenheit 451

905 Words | 4 Pages

Fahrenheit 451 shows how people’s rights to free speech and media are essential to a free thinking society. Guy Montag, the main character, is a firefighter, which in his futuristic society means he burns books for the government because they are illegal due to the potentially controversial ideas they contain. Montag meets a girl named Clarisse, who helps him realize he’s not really content in how he’s living his life and in his relationships, which begins to change his viewpoint on the society’s standards. His wife Mildred, as well as the rest of society, are highly materialistic and shallow in their daily activities and interactions. Montag eventually steals a book during the fireman’s raid on a house, which leads him to seek out a man named Faber, who is an educated man, and helps encourage Montag to take steps to action.

Read More

Government Control In Fahrenheit 451

1514 Words | 7 Pages

The government in Montag's society is trying to control the citizens' knowledge and memory. They are lying to the people about history and jailing people for wandering the streets. The leaders of Montag's nation control knowledge by feeding their citizens untrue facts about

Read More

Ray Bradbury's Dystopian Fahrenheit 451

724 Words | 3 Pages

In Ray Bradbury’s dystopian Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag experiences a paradigm shift as he transforms from a disoriented fireman to a learner who wants to gain knowledge through literature. Montag struggles with his newfound fascination with what was once trivial items because of his inability to ask questions under the bonds of conformity. However, the society prohibits people from reading for fear that they would express individuality and perhaps even rebel once they gain knowledge. Through the use of characterization and diction, the Bradbury demonstrates Montag’s desire for individuality and the society’s command of conformity in order to build a suspenseful mood, which keeps the reader’s interest. First, through the use of characterization,

Read More

Purpose Of Government In Fahrenheit 451

1645 Words | 7 Pages

Unless you are an Anarchist or otherwise, you probably support the idea of having a government. Government has been an integral part of society for all of mankind, many have incessantly argued over why we have government and what the overall purpose of government is. People whose ideologies align with John Locke feel that the government’s purpose is to help all people and to not get too involved in the affairs of the people. However, those who identify with the ideas of Thomas Hobbes strongly believe that government’s purpose is to save the people from themselves because they are barbaric people that are liable to run amok, he felt by tightly restricting their rights this would be remedied. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, this argument is

Read More

Examples Of Social Structure In Fahrenheit 451

1509 Words | 7 Pages

Also censoring the importance of knowledge, reading and thinking. It has been like this for many years and Montag has always thought by doing his job he could prevent that. Especially with books, he has always been doing what his job entails, burning books, doing the kind deed for the city. One day while on his way to work, Montag meets his new neighbor a young, free spirited, seventeen year old girl names Clarisse McClellan. She was different than anyone he has ever met in the town.

Read More

Montag's Internal Conflict In Fahrenheit 451

515 Words | 3 Pages

Montag realizes that not everyone is willing to see the faults in their society. Trying to change that is futile. The reader, in turn, recognizes that many people are afraid of knowing more. They are afraid of seeing the wrong in what was perceived as perfect, as good, as

Read More

More about The Government In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Related Topics

Open Document