The expression of ideas is an irrefutable facet of human nature that cannot be stripped away due to the fact that it does not conform to the expectations of society. This idea of censorship impedes the freedom and expression of individuals and dilutes the presence of divergent cultures and beliefs. It is ubiquitous in different forms of media, including books and technology, which leads to the perceived protection from dangerous notions or exposure to outside ideas. As a result of these fears and assumptions, countless books have been wrongfully banned including Fahrenheit 451 which not only conveys concepts such as freedom of religion, but of the dangers of replacing communication with mass media, as well as advocating freedom of expression and ideas.
Freedom of religion is shown in numerous forms throughout Fahrenheit 451. Montag, who was characterized as a fireman in this novel, prompts encounters to new religious beliefs within his society, such as Christianity, which was exemplified in this novel. One of the main reasons why Fahrenheit 451 was banned was because of its inclusion of religious content, for example, when Montag saved a bible from a fire while he was on duty. However, one of the set guidelines in his society is that books of any shape, size, or form are prohibited in fear of the
Chong 2 ideas that they contain. This incident was notable, because not only did Montag save a book from the fire, it was a book of considerable religious importance. An internal
Imagine a world in which one is taught how and what to think. In this world no one is given the opportunity to form their own opinions. Books are illegal because they might generate ideas other than those which are taught. Knowledge is what allows a person to understand right from wrong, but if it is ingrained in a person to follow a set of rules without having an understanding for them, it’s most likely that the person will rebel. That is what occurs in Fahrenheit 451. Books are banned and, if found, are burned along with the house they are located in. This rule instilled fear and curiosity in the hearts of certain people within their society. Fear of getting their house burned and curiosity about the contents of these books people are sacrificing their houses and even some lives for. The answer is simple: knowledge. In Fahrenheit 451, the power and value of ideas allows one to see the world’s beauty clearly through their own eyes, comprehend and cognize the rules, and instigate conflict.
In the beginning of the book Ray Bradbury shows how Montog reacts to fire when he is ignorant. Montag did not think about what he was doing while he burned books because he had not began reading books himself. “Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame. He knew that when he returned to the firehouse, he might wink at himself, a minstrel man, burnt corked, in the mirror.(4)” This quote shows Montag's outlook on fire before he began reading books himself. Montag was a complex character in Fahrenheit 451. His views constantly change as the story progresses. In the end of the book, Bradbury showed him and his reactions to fire where, after his ignorance had been lifted. He had realized that it could do more than cause destruction and take away pieces of art away, but that it could help bring people together. Bradbury shows this when montag finds people come together around fire rather than be pulled apart because of it: “It was not only the fire that was different. It was the silence that was concerned with all of the world.(146)” Montag looked at the fire at the end of the book and felt happy and at peace with the world. He did not feel anger or a resistance to the fire, but he was one with it and was no longer ignorant to how special books
The government censors literature in Fahrenheit 451 the most out of everything they do censor. Guy Montag very quickly discovers their censorship on literature. Ray Bradbury states “ ‘Do you ever read any of the books you burn?’ He laughed. ‘ That’s against the law!’ ‘oh of
Another incident that stayed in Montag 's mind is the old women who set her self and her books on fire. However, Montag tried stopping her by telling her that the books were not worth her life. Before she burned herself, Montag took one of her books and kept it. At that time Montag did not think about what did the old lady burned herself with the books, he did not think about it might be the value and morals that books hold to teach is. The old lady knew the importance of these books and what do they have, so she preferred to burn herself with them, and not watch the firemen burn them, who do not even know the importance of books. But they do know that books are unreal and there is so importance of them, plus they are against the law!
Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953 by Ray Bradbury in the US. His book is set in a dystopian society where books are illegal and and thinking is restricted. Instead of firemen putting out fires, they start them.. Bradbury’s famous book has been mainly challenged by middle schools and high schools. While Fahrenheit 451 maybe the most controversial novel in the 20th century, it holds the award as being one of the most notable banned books in history. No other book has been written like this so mysterious and real. The idea of how books are banned doesn’t really matter to most people. While Fahrenheit 451 might include some vulgar language and profanity, it shares ideas that can help young people.
Guy Montag, a local ‘firemen’ lives in a despairing dreary world where instead of firemen extinguishing fires they create them, they burn and banish books. They believe that books are a sin and trouble to society. Although Montag is one of the main sources of the books being burned he meets a bright young girl that changes his ways of thinking and
In the beginning Montag does not doubt the rules or expectations of being a firefighter. He believes that as a firefighter his job is to burn books because they are banned. Montag follows the rules and knows that he is not supposed to own or read any books. With the pure belief in the rules he enjoys going out every day and burning books. It doesn’t bother him to see the pages go to ashes. He thought, “It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed” (pg.7).
In the article “You are Guy Montag: Ray Bradbury's #1 Censorship Concern” the author Nancy Lambert explains that censorship in books sparks a lot of interests because of the literacy and themes. In Bradbury’s book Fahrenheit 451 the overall theme of the book is book burning due to government regulations taken over society. In the article “You are Guy Montag: Ray Bradbury’s #1 Censorship Concern” Lambert claims, “Though book banning was a common theme in his work, in real life, it wasn’t big-brother top-down censorship that concerned him most, but the kind of insidious censorship that is brewed from the bottom up, from apathy, or distraction,...” (Lambert). Certain censorships are implemented with ridiculous rules because it is not caused by the government, but the people itself. Censorship is important because information that is leaked can possibly cause a lot of controversy and be misinterpreted. For example, in the article Lambert states, “However, the most egregious censorship of Fahrenheit 451 was actually by its publisher(more on that in a moment)” (Lampert). Going into writing and publishing the novel Bradbury had to tell the story how books really impacted the world and the consequences that can occur if books were eliminated. Bradbury got a lot of heat from this because his story seemed too real for the near future. This became the poster child for censorship because of all the
Although Montag now knows the truth behind books, what they stand for, and why they’re hated so much Montag needed guidance he needed an objective it was until after meeting Granger he finds a new meaning. Before meeting Granger, Montag and Faber devised a plan to setup the firemen by placing books in each one of their homes. This plan went terribly bad when Montag’s last call as a firefighter was to his own house it was then and there Montag became an exile of the law. Montag forced to leave the life he once knew behind managed to escape and group up with an
Montag should worry about the firemen burning books and saying their evil without reading them, firstly because how can you believe in something if you have no proof for the statement that books are evil. Secondly, if there
Fahrenheit 451 a novel written by Ray Bradbury shows a world of the future in which having free thoughts is considered antisocial and reading is illegal. Guy Montag is a fireman who loves doing his job, which is burning books. He's married and lives a "normal life". On his way home from work one day, he meets a lady that is named Clarisse, who eventually confesses that she really likes reading. Clarisse gave Montag an idea to change their society for the better, and then Montag begins to steal books. His wife calls the fire department, and then the find and destroy all of Montags' books. Montag knew this would happen, and then he fled for his life. At the end of the novel, Montag is rescued by a group of people that say their "name" which
This part of the book shows the amount of courage Montag has. Because he went into a public place with a book. When he could get arrested.
Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury demonstrates a different kind of censorship. He exposes an insidious censorship that is brewed from distraction. The distraction is achieved by the banning of books, claimed to be a step toward equality. But, Bradbury shows that without intellectual freedom, equality is an empty promise which leads itself to totalitarianism and rebellion.
However, in the novel not everyone was controlled by the state, some went against and kept books to read. There was an older woman who believed strongly in the power of books and the knowledge built in it. In many of the missions Montag was given, he was assigned to a home where a woman was illegally found guilty of having books in her home. Montag, after witnessing a
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a book that greatly explores the censorship of literature and how the government controls everything that reaches the communities’ ears. The government censors so much from its society that they do not know what truly happens outside of their community. The same censorship that happens in the book repeats itself in history. Both history and the book have examples of censorship in literature, news media, entertainment, communication, and the internet. Humans gain knowledge out of what they read, watch, or look up, the government in Fahrenheit 451 ban any access to these forms of awareness to prevent rebellion.