How Does Censorship Affect An Individual's Knowledge

Some people deal with the oppressive rule of censorship and are unable to know certain information. If one conforms to the reputation of the society while questioning inwardly, he/she may become increasingly compelled to seek for answers to become satisfied. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag questions the importance of his role of burning books as a fireman. Although Montag increasingly strives to understand literature and reveal the significance of books, his fear of ruining his reputation causes him to try and remain secretive. As Montag’s intellectual thinking develops, he becomes more willing to take bold risks and sacrifices to obtain the knowledge he desires.

In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 people use censorship to ensure no one is offended. Since books are banned, the society feels that there is a need for instant gratification. The society spend more time doing instead of think for themselves. In today's world our society's need to make life easier will result in the same society as Montag's with extreme uses censorship the need for instant gratification and the less and in less time thinking.

Within humans exists the psychological tendency to obey: to obey authority, to obey the law, to obey our mothers and fathers. We are especially keen to obey when ignorance is at its peak, like when the government decides to criminalize the production, possession and distribution of books. Such injustice is exactly what happens in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, where books are not just disposed of, but incinerated. Firemen, the soldiers of ignorance and the suppressors of knowledge, are responsible for this task. Montag is the culmination of such conformity, a fireman who obeys the orders of his higher ups.

Censorship is an issue that civilizations have struggled with for hundreds of years. The question that leaders ask themselves is, “Is censorship the problem or solution?” In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, he finds the solution. The novel is set in the future where books are banned, and firefighters set houses on fire that hold books. The main character, Montag, is a firefighter that hates his life and his occupation.

In the novel, Ray Bradbury illustrates the idea that censorship makes you eager to learn through facts. Montag realizes that “He was not happy. ”(13)This is because he was now knowledgeable of something that was hidden from him. He thought that he knew something, even the fact that he was happy, but the fact that he had no control over things that he knew, was hidden from him. Montag was hidden from the fact that, “our civilization is flinging itself to pieces.”

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, a story is told about a man named Guy Montag, a fireman who burns books in a society where books are illegal and everyone is trying to be happy in the wrong ways. Montag ends up questioning the ordinary and discovers that books are the answer, not the curse, so he escapes society to start all over. Through Montag’s experiences and influences, he learns that there is more to the strange life he is living, which changes his character. “It was a pleasure to burn” (Bradbury 1); says Guy Montag. Montag is content with his way of living.

Imagine living in a black and white world where all your thoughts, the way you speak and our daily routine are controlled by someone else. In Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag starts to question the intentions of his own government after meeting Clarisse McLellan. Ray Bradbury explores the different forms of censorship through Montag’s wife, Mildred, the burning of books, and technology, in order to show there are consequences to censorship.

Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 Fahrenheit 451 shows an extreme example of censorship in a dystopian future. In this future firemen are employed to burn books and real information of any kind is banned. The main character, Guy Montag, is a firefighter who burns books, he eventually rebels and decides that information is important. The truly terrifying aspect of the world is that it is not just the government who censor but the people themselves who do no wish to learn anything.

Books were invented many years ago and have a big impact on our society we live in today. Many religions follow the text from books and used it today as a guide in the way they live. Imagine every single book and research topic were to be abolished and you had no knowledge of William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, and the holy bible. All you know is what you're told by the government. Ray Bradbury's establish a profound system in which people are not allowed to read books to people to question the world around them and think for themselves. Montag is a proud fireman who obtains pleasure from burning books, but he slowly starts to question the reason why he does it.

In the Book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray bradbury, Montag is faced with many challenges. Though one of his main conflicts is that society is controlling. This is because society is stopping him from doing what he truly believes in. Ray Bradbury shows an example of this on page 97 where it states, “You see? I know it, that’s what I wanted to prove! I know it would happen! I’ve always said, poetry and tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feelings, poetry and sickness, all that mush!” In this situation, Montag is trying to show these people what poetry and books are all about. He wanted to show them what he saw and he wanted them to experience the greatness that he felt. However, they only yelled at him because they did not believe in the same things that he did. They only cared about what society thought and nothing that could happen would change their minds about it. Another way that Montag experienced this is on page 55 when Ray Bradbury

Imagine a world where everybody loathes books and burns them. In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury; Montang is in this imaginary world where books are illegal. Reading books in this dystopia society can get you killed or put in jail. Censorship is only dangerous if humans are not aware of it. Montang was just a clone of everybody else until he staring reading books and realize that censorship is very important; it made him learn new things and new perspective about society.

The censorship of knowledge perpetuates uniformity in a community. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, banning and burning books is the people’s and government’s way of censoring knowledge. Through books, Guy Montag, the main character and fireman, develops individual thought, and becomes one of the most dangerous human beings in the society. Information and knowledge allows people to think for themselves. Therefore, the censoring of information by banning books prevents expression of individuality, advances in society, and any questioning of authority.

Writing this novel Bradbury has let other readers feel close to him allowing them to feel like they can relate to him through his stories as well as Montag. Bradbury and Montag relate because they know what is expected of them to succeed and satisfy themselves. Montag holds the responsibility as being a fireman and burning books instead he keeps them other characters in the story can relate who have escaped the society and they will also help him to do the same. They both feel they need to catch up on their past and make the most of their life while they have it. “ Montag opines on several occasions throughout the novel that he needs to catch up with the memories of the past.” They both love books and would

The use of censorship to examine and eliminate elements in media that are found to be unorthodox or radical has been prevalent in society for centuries. Through censorship, ideas found to be objectionable or offensive are repressed. In his prophetic novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury denotes the common practice of government censorship of books as a suppressive and marginalizing concept for humans because it strips them of the realities, truths, and meaning behind books and deprives them the freedom to deliberate and act on them. The protagonist, Guy Montag lives in a futuristic, American society and is a ‘firemen’; a group of men that deflect the old conventional purpose of stopping fires, to creating

“Then, moaning, she ran forward, seized a book and ran toward the kitchen incinerator. He caught her, shrieking. He held her and she tried to fight away from him scratching,” (63). In the novel Fahrenheit 451 follows the protagonist, Guy Montag, and his interactions with society discouraging and encouraging his discovery of the illegal books. Along the way he understands who are the poisonous people in his dystopian world and who are not; changing his perspective to lose trust in his wife Mildred, from previous quote, and finding safety with Faber, a retired professor he came by one day in a park. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 the author demonstrates the idea that when there is censorship in the world, ignorance will follow because when a subject is hidden from one anything they do regarding it is under the impression of their lack of knowledge surrounding the topic, this becomes more relevant when Ray Bradbury acknowledges the emotions of people who have read books and whom haven't and their general opinions of them.