Fahrenheit 451 And George Orwell

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the author creates a picture of a society that resembles our present-day society in a variety of ways. Although a society in which government has total control over its citizens seems to be a little extreme, there are definitely clues that can be seen today that suggest that we are headed in the same direction. Some of the resemblances between the society in Fahrenheit 451 and our society today are the governments’ hypocrisy, the gullibility of the citizens who fully support the government, and the fact that books are becoming rather extinct due to advances in modern technology.

My appreciation of a literary work was enhanced by understanding symbol when I read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The science fiction novel is about Guy Montag, a man who is a firefighter. In this time, the job of a firefighter is to burn and destroy all books because reading or having books is illegal. He does his job, day by day, burning books without giving it a thought. As the novel continues, Montag realizes that books are not bad and tries to save them. He remembers a time when fire was not a destructive force; fire was also a source of warmth and comfort. In this novel, fire represents two opposing forces, depending on how it is used. The firemen use it to destroy, but Montag learns that it gives a source of a warm and comforting affect when used correctly.

Clarisse is a girl that is basically different from everyone else. She lives life and explores it instead of being inside cooped up in a house. Mildred lives her life that way, stays inside and talks to her “family” which in reality is just her T.V. that has been set up to communicate with her.

The people in Montag’s society are taught to fear everything around them. In the futuristic society there is advanced technology for everything, but is not only technology they fear. “So many people are. Afraid of firemen I mean. But you’re just a man, after all…”(5) Since the firemen burn books and the people who have them, everyone is terrified of books and the firemen. They know that these firemen will burn anything in their path. This quote was Clarisse talking to Montag about their messed up society and how she doesn’t go to school because the kids there kill each other. She lives is constant fear of these kids who are ruthless and kill people just as the firemen will. “She was a time bomb. The family had been feeding her subconscious,

Fahrenheit 451 is about a society in which books and think have been banned. The government determines that many books have controversial messages that bring out the worst in humans. So in order to keep the masses happy, books have been outlawed and must be burnt. The main protagonist, a firefighter named Guy Montag, is commissioned to raid houses and destroy books in his community. Through time and conversations he has with other characters of the book he ultimately discovers the flaw in his society; so in response, Montag decides to steal, hide and keep some of the confiscated books at his house. Montag keeps a book of poetry that includes "Dover Beach."

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury is a novel based in the future, placing the reader to a time where owning books was against the law. In a setting so dreadful where those who want to better themselves by thinking for themselves, and by secretly reading books are outlaws as well. The books and ideas are burned in a pit, the books are burned physically, and ideas are burned from the mind metaphorically. Mr. Bradbury use of literary devices, such as symbolism, but it is the main idea he wants to share with the readers is what makes this novel so devastating.

1. Think of characters in past readings (The Giver through The Two Towers). Describe a character who was at war with him or herself much like Gollum/Sméagol displays in the video. a. In Fahrenheit 451, once Clarisse exposed the possibility that Montag may have born dissatisfaction with his life—the life he had tricked himself into believing was ideal—he experienced an internal struggle that manifested itself in what could be described as two conflicting personalities, much like those displayed by Gollum. On one hand, Montag kept his “mask” on, hoping that, if he kept up his act long enough, the feeling of wanting more to his life would go away.

When the secondary characters of a book are written in a unique way than in most other novels, it can bring up challenging questions regarding their lives. This is most apparent in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where everyone seems happy in a futuristic life without books and instead uses a vast array of technology to occupy their downtime. But when we look at how they live everyday, even though they seem happy, are they really? Most citizens in the novel do the same routine day in and day out, not really questioning why everything is the way it is. It is almost as if they have been brainwashed in a way to make them seem happy, but in actuality they wouldn’t really know compared to our day’s standards. Though they might be happy living in their lifestyles, the people of Fahrenheit 451 are not actually sure of what happiness is, and therefore cannot be happy when they do not know what brings happiness.

Each individual finds his unique place in the world by going through a journey of self-discovery. One who cannot surmount the tests and trials faces the possibility of not completing the cycle, and will be labeled a tragic hero. A hero rises as a master of two worlds when he utilizes the help of mentors and disregards the hindrances placed by other characters and the unknown world. The typical hero in literature is depicted as the one who conquers all, faces what no other dares to, and fights to make good triumph over evil. Ray Bradbury presents the fictional story, Fahrenheit 451, of such an individual, whose perspective opens up another world previously hidden from him. The story exhibits turning points in Guy Montag’s journey and gives

“Fire is dangerous,” is what my mother always told me. Growing up with a mother that harped about playing with fire turned that very thing into my biggest fear. When I was younger, I had a repeating nightmare that my house would burn down in the middle of the night, and sometimes I would get stuck inside; other times I would escape and be purely mesmerized by both the danger and the beauty that the blaze held. This mesmerizing impression is brought to life in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury employs many different human associations and responses to fire throughout the novel. In fact, the image of fire is the most dominant image used in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury presents fire in many different ways in the novel, such as, a destroyer, things of beauty, and a restorer.

Have you ever stopped to wonder how modern technology has shaped our society, and where it will lead our future of ‘social’ interaction? Have you ever been sitting and listening to the news, when you hear a new story on yet another book being banned for some petty reason, such as ‘protection of children’s innocence’ or ‘offensive content’? Have you thought about where such things will take us and our changing, evolving definition of socializing? If you belong with those who contemplate things, who turn things over in their minds, who don’t allow themselves to use ignorance as a shield from difficult, complex thinking, you may have answered ‘yes’. Knowledge, wisdom, and logical reasoning are important to today’s society, but unfortunately,

Introduction - Man over the years has thought of a very simple, yet controversial question, “can man destroy itself?”.

This quotation refers to the philosophy of their society. It is socially criticized because it gave everybody access to the same information and therefore not allowing anyone to think freely. In their society, intelligence means nothing. Referring to the first quotation, if they are told to know something, then they will not ask questions, and therefore everyone will be equal in their knowledge. In this civilization, one is not allowed to be intellect because someone who is stronger in that area has more to offer, like the 'bright boy ', who is hated by others who are not as strong. The society wants children to attend school earlier, "we 've lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we 're almost snatching them from the cradle." (Ray Bradbury, 1953, p.60) This is an example of social criticism because the younger the children are attending

What is your ideal utopia? In the book Fahrenheit 451 the government tries to make a utopia by burning books, thinking it's going to make the people happier. The dystopian society compared to our modern day society has a different idea of happiness and how to solve things.

1984 and Fahrenheit 451 are both novels telling us of a possible scenario for the development of the world with no place for a sense of personal identity. This world is filled with dystopia, decadence, crisis of morality, loneliness. The main characters in both books are men with their own fears, suspicions and temptations. Each of them has a woman who stimulate their conflict of interest. Their professional duties oblige them to support ruling elites and fight against human rights. While Guy Montag, after a conversation with Clarisse, suddenly feels the need for spirituality, and finds its expression in books, Winston is so burdened by the pressure of the system, so constrained that the formula 2 + 2 = 4 becomes a desired but inaccessible dream and a certain symbol of freedom.