Irony In Fahrenheit 451 Analysis

Merriam Webster defines irony as “the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.” Throughout Fahrenheit 451, there are strategic examples of irony that Ray Bradbury has placed to make the reader take a second look at what they are reading and think about what makes the piece of writing ironic. It also makes them look at the novel through a second perspective, that of Bradbury himself. There are many examples of irony in the novel, some blatant, and some well hidden.

Montag responded with, “That’s against the law!” (8). This shows that, at first, Montag thought of nothing about books. This also shows that Montag had no intention of learning anything from the books. Then, near the end of the book, “She [Mildred] must have watched him hide the books in the garden…” (115-116).

Mildred is seen to be immensely emotionless and does not have an ounce of remorse in her body. When Montag brought up the topic of deaths, she would talk very nonchalant and was loose over the matter. Mildred is deemed to be empty inside. Her mind, emotions, and life all show to consist of nothing. This issue makes Montag question their relationship. He begins to wonder if the woman who he has been married to for ten years was truly the woman who he thought she was. For instance, Mildred did not even know where they met for the first time.

We can see that Clarisse is a huge part of the book in how Montag's reacts to events even after she dies, and even how she contributes to Montag unhappiness. Like for example in Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury writes “yes I am very much in love he tried to conjure up a face fit the words, but there was no face(22)” it clearly shows that this relates with the argument because in the book he starts to get a little nervous when she asked him is he in love and that can affect the way he thinks in the long run because of the problem he is having with his wife. A better part of the book where we see how Clarisse is affecting Montag point of view of stuff is when they first met and she asked him if he was happy and in Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury writes “happy of all the nonsense(10)” you can clearly see that this also relates to the argument because for the second time in the book she asked him a simple question and he has over thinked it or he has just responded with anger. The importance of this quote is to show the reader that how he can get distracted from his life when Clarice is around telling stuff to really think about.

Unlike most people in Fahrenheit 451, she inquires a lot about the surrounding environment. She is seen as “antisocial” because she doesn’t mix with the “society”. It turns out that the meaning of “social” in Fahrenheit 451 is being the same as others. Clarisse gave Montag a spark of interest in the outside world, thus making him start to read books. Unfortunately, Clarisse gets run over by a car and dies. Later, Beatty says, ”You ask Why to a lot of things and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl’s better off dead,” This shows that Clarisse was not supposed to be there at all. From existence of Clarisse, Bradbury gives us a comparison of the world with no interest and the so-called “normal”

In the novel Fahrenheit 451 the author, Ray Bradbury, uses diction to deliver his message of disturbing the status quo. What i believe Ray means when he says disturbing the status quo is breaking away from what is considered normal in this society. The way he gets his message across is appealing to the masses is because we can not only relate to the characters but we can clearly understand what he is saying because we may have gone through the same thing. In the articles The Invisible Influence: How our Decisions Are Rarely our Own by Jonah Burger and Why do people follow the crowd? By Dr. Gregory Burns they both discuss the same message Bradbury is pushing for. “You don't make your own decisions because it may not relate to what other people say or to what society wants.”

Clarisse McClellan, Guy Montag and Mildred Montag are some citizens living in the dystopian society of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In the epigraph written by Spanish poet, Juan Ramon Jimenez reads, “If they give you ruled paper, write the other way.” This means when faced with opposition or conformity, insurrection, the act of revolting against the government, should be considered carefully. Taking action is an option, but is not Bradbury’s true intentions by adding this fitting epigraph to his story. By showing readers his connection between ruled paper and writing the other way through his characters, Bradbury shares his understanding of indirect rebellion and the 3 types of people found in civil division. Both Clarisse and Mildred are

Montag begins to question every aspect of his life, “I don’t know. We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing. I looked around. The only thing I knew was gone was the books I’d burned in 10 or 12 years. So I thought books might help.” (Pg.82) Censorship puts Montag in the dark; a place he no longer wants to be. Montag wants to be passionate about something worth fighting for. That passion leads him on a hunt for knowledge, guides him to books, and sets him free.

Beatty disliked books. In the book Beatty says”Well, Montag, take my word for it, I’ve read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and books say nothing!” This proves he thinks they are worthless and meaningless. Beatty also says in the book,"What traitors books can be! You think they’re backing you up, and then they turn on you. Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives."

Clarisse’s talking is significant to the outcome of the story. Her talking caused Montag to start reading books. This triggered the climax of the whole book. Her challenging Montag and his society’s thinking lead him to change his view upon literature. Even though Clarisse remained a static character, she influenced Montag to open his eyes and see what really is going on in his society. This insight is significant because it makes a connection to our society. Clarisse had certain characteristics that we have today. Since she was regarded as crazy, these characteristics of hers show how our society is different from their dystopian one.

James Madison once said that “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”James Madison quote relates to Fahrenheit 451 because when Montag finally had realized how good books are, he didn’t let the government tell him what to do or what he cannot learn. Knowledge is a powerful factor that empowers people

Would you rather have awareness of the world around you or just be completely oblivious? In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, you clearly don't have a choice. Bradbury uses figurative language, symbolism, and biblical references in the book to express Bradbury’s concern about how powerful governments manipulate citizens.

When Montag failed to show up for work, his fire chief, Beatty, paid a visit to him. Beatty explained that "it's normal for a fireman to go through a phase of wondering what books have to offer," he also explained how books came to be banned in the first place. Beatty told Montag to take about twenty-four hours to see if his stolen books contained anything meaningful and then to turn them in for incineration. Montag began a lengthy and frantic night of reading.

Extra Credit In the book Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, a recurring theme occurs. The theme of censorship is the biggest recurring theme. In Fahrenheit 451, books are banned, and all knowledge and learning is facilitated by the government. In layman’s terms, all education is given and maintained by the government.

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, irony is used to convey information and it contributes to the overall theme of the novel. Written during the era of McCarthyism, Fahrenheit 451 is about a society where books are illegal. This society believes that being intellectual is bad and that a lot of things that are easily accessible today should be censored. The overall message of the book is that censorship is not beneficial to society, and that it could cause great harm to one’s intelligence and social abilities. An analysis of irony in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury shows that this literary technique is effective in contributing to the overall theme of the novel because it gives more than one perspective on how censorship can negatively affect