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Fahrenheit 451 Comparison Essay

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Every society has its own societal issues. Whether that's problems over religion, science, class, or greed. Everyone has the option to pick what side of history they want to be on--what they want to be remembered for. Whether that’s fighting for transgender rights as can be seen in the 21st century, or fighting to be considered a free man as can be seen in the 19th century. This fight can be seen throughout history books and literary classics such as Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. In Fahrenheit 451, the main character, Guy Montag is fighting against the technological revolution taking place in the 23rd century. He battles with a society full of censorship, where everyone is too caught up with their …show more content…

Our fear-driven society is mirrored in both Fahrenheit 451 and Things Fall Apart. In Things Fall Apart, their society is so drastically driven by fear that there is a justice system in place, not for the means of actual justice, but because the citizens of Umofia are afraid of the Earth god, and the demise of their town. This is apparent in their use of the “evil forest” which is where twin babies are left to die, in fear of the babies bringing evil with them. The fear of the citizens of Umofia is also seen in the punishment Okwonko is forced to carry out as a result of his gun accidentally going off and killing a boy. For this crime, Okwonko is forced to flee Umofia for seven years and his obi is burned to the ground. It is important to note, that the punishment given to Okwonko was out of the fear that the whole town would have to pay for Okwonko’s actions. This is shown in the quote, “As the elders said, if one finger brought oil it soiled the others.” P.106. This quote shows the mentality that the people of Umofia had. They lived in fear of offending the Great goddess. So much so, that they would go to exorbitant lengths to please her. They made sure to exile anyone who offended the Great goddess, because they feared the weakening of their town. Fahrenheit 451

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