Theme Of Disobedience In Fahrenheit 451

Disobedience The history of our society constantly proves that it has and is being shaped by protesting beliefs, hiding under the law, and disobeying rules and norms. In 1891, Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) observed, “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Many examples of disobedience have been shown in literature. Some show the outcome of disobedience as successful, although it doesn’t always work out the way it was intended. Because many instances don’t aren’t successful, the ones that are, stick out the most.

Fahrenheit 451 is a great example of disobedience for change. The book follows

In the case of March by John Lewis, the plot describes the Black Power movement that started in the 1960s and 70s. The story also talks about Lewis as a kid and how he grew up. There were times where he would disobey his parents and sneak off to school. “Sometimes going to school was a luxury my family couldn’t afford…And so I’d hide…Then, when I could hear the approaching bus, I’d dash out, climb on and be off” (Lewis 50). Lewis’s sneaking off to school was not inherently bad, and it showed that if he had a goal he would strive to complete it. Another example of Lewis pushing towards his goals and undermining unjust social laws, is when he decided he wanted to join an all white college, but to achieve this he needed the help of Martin Luther King Jr. “Over the next several weeks I exchanged a series of letters and calls with Rev. Ralph Abernathy and a lawyer named Fred Gray… Finally, Gray and Abernathy wrote to tell me that Dr. King wanted to meet me” (Lewis 66). Lewis and King discuss the details of joining an all white school. They claim that lawsuits and raising money would be involved, along with the major risks that would come with that, which included his family being put in danger. Over the course of the book, Lewis and King work together, aiming for equality, disobeying the law and changing

The story of The Great Gatsby follows Nick who befriends Gatsby and follows his many affairs until Gatsby’s untimely demise. Gatsby’s biggest act of disobedience, which is only revealed towards the end of the book, unveils that he was illegally selling alcohol. Gatsby was a very secret bootlegger, despite his secrecy, he was very wealthy, and able to pass under the law very easily. Because of Gatsby’s wealth, he was forced to create a false identity and background for himself. Due to his stories and fame he is so unfazed by society's rules that he was let go after being caught speeding. “‘All right, old sport,” called Gatsby. We slowed down. Taking a white card from his wallet, he waved it before the man's eyes. (68) Even though Gatsby was breaking the law, his greater crimes remained hidden. For the majority of the story Gatsby’s real work stays hidden, but towards the end, Tom, the antagonist of the book, confronts Gatsby. “‘I found out what your ‘drug-stores’ were.’He turned to us and spoke rapidly. ‘He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far wrong’” (Fitzgerald 133) Tom later continues, “‘That drug-store business was just small change,’ continued Tom