One of the main themes in the novel Fahrenheit 451 is Distraction vs. Happiness. This theme explains how characters in the novel prefer to distract themselves from reality to avoid suffering and “be happy”. They thought that driving fast, watching TV or hearing the radio all day will help suppress your sadness and living a better life. In the novel, they show the only real way to find happiness is to live real life and not avoid the suffering. Instead of avoiding suffering, you should accept your reality and try to move on with it. A lot of the characters in the novel suffer of depression or insecurity because they avoid the difficult and uncomfortable thoughts or experiences that happen to them. "The important thing for you to remember, …show more content…
Something 's missing. I looked around. The only thing I positively knew was gone was the books I 'd burned in ten or twelve years. So I thought books might help” (Bradbury, Part 2). This quote is said by Guy Montag to Faber when he asks him to teach him how to read. In the novel everyone thought they were happy because they never really thought about it, they got distracted doing other things and didn´t worried about that. When Montag was asked by Clarisse if he was happy he started doubting about himself. He looked everywhere for answers and he thought the books might help. When people forget their distractions and actually focus on what is real they find out how they really feel and fix their problems. The distractions don´t take away the problem they just make you forget about them but they are still there. In this quote Montag started to prefer being real happy instead of distracting himself with unreal things. "Now, Montag, you 're a burden. And fire will lift you off my shoulders, clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, practical"(Bradbury, Part 3). This quote was said by Captain Beatty to Guy Montag when he was caught hiding books in his house. This quote is not exactly Happiness vs. Distraction but if you look closely you can see how these people always want to take the easy way out. Beatty wants to get rid of Montag forever instead of working the problems out and trying to change the way