Masks In Fahrenheit 451

In the beginning of the novel, Jack’s mask represents hiding from himself and to hide from the responsibility of the real world. Jack is standing over the water when he begins to create the mask out of different colors of charcoal. Once he creates his mask, he sees himself in the reflection of the water, “he began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (Golding 64). He becomes a different person and hides from his true self. A sense of anonymity arises to help relieve

The theme of masks is a significant theme throughout the book through the book. In all war people use

In this story censorship, plays a big role and is one of the key important themes portrayed throughout the novel. Politicians today have done similar things to attempt to censor citizens from situations in foreign countries just like the firemen from Fahrenheit 451. In Ray Bradbury’s novel, the firemen burn the books to shield their people from knowledge of the past. They want to keep their society pure and away from anything that will make them to not obey their protocols. The examples of censorship in the book would be banning of literature, burning offensive novels and sometimes burning the owners of the books with them. In Fahrenheit 451, censorship has an immense effect on the dystopian society’s characteristics and intelligence.

In this moment, Jack put white clay on one-half of his face and red on the other half. Jack put charcoal between the patches of red and white on his face and a mask on top of all of this. Jack put the clay on his face so he could disguise himself from the pig and creep up on it and stab it. The reader can tell that the mask is now controlling Jack and the other hunters because it said that “the mask compelled them” (64). This is significant because this is when Jack starts turning into an

After unsuccessfully trying to take away Ralph's power Jack states, “I’m going off by myself. He can catch his own pigs.” (Golding 145). This quote holds significance in Jack’s struggle for power. Jack finally found the power in himself to break away from a place where he felt oppressed. This quote also shows how Jack felt his hunting was very important to Ralph and their overall survival. Jack, from the beginning believed hunting was the most important thing no matter what everyone else said, and from this belief Jack created many conflicts like not maintaining the fire. By leaving Ralph to hunt for himself Jack believed he was leaving him to die. Golding uses this to illustrate Jack’s need for power. When all structure was lost he found structure in hunting and thought those who didn't were still lost. By breaking away he created the ability to build a life that made sense to him and invited anyone who wanted to join. When Jack realizes this he very abruptly changes from someone who is fighting for power to someone with strength and courage. Jack paints a mask of his face and almost instantly changes. “He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling… The mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (Golding 68). Almost instantly Jack was a different person to not only the people around him but also to himself. Like the conch Golding uses the mask as a symbol for power. With the mask Jack is someone who doesn’t have to follow rules and obey the conch. He shows his break away from the government by breaking the conch. “The conch exploded into a thousand white pieces and ceased to exist,” (Golding 209) and just as simply so did any power Ralph had over

“We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought. We have our fingers on a dike. Hold steady. Don’t let the torrent of melancholy and drear philosophy drown our world. We depend on you. I don’t think you realize how important you are, we are, to our happy world as it stands now.” (Bradbury 59). This quote illustrates, how the societies government is making people think that books and theories are what makes the society unhappy. This is what makes the people that start theories and read books separate from their society and hide from the government and their cruel punishments towards the book readers. In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, a man named Guy Montag, goes on a journey to find out about the books that are hidden from his society. Along the way, Guy starts to notices that he is different from the others who watch the “parlor walls”. In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, the author, Ray Bradbury teaches the readers the theme of censorship to show how the protagonist, Guy Montag, changes as a result of the conflict in his dystopian society.

In today’s world, a number of topics that are considered to be mature are being censored. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, touches upon the topic. The book indicates that censorship is not justifiable and letting people think freely is what makes the world what it is. Censoring subjects that are considered mature is not justifiable. Censorship limits the author and restricts the readers, prepares people to fail in real world situations, and humans have the right to know about any subject comes to mind.

In Fahrenheit 451, owning and reading books is illegal. Members of society focus only on entertainment and speeding through life. If books are found, they are burned and their owner is arrested. If the owner refuses to abandon the books, as is the case with the Old Woman, he or she often dies, burning along with the books. People with interests outside of technology and entertainment are viewed as strange, and possible threats. In this novel, censorship plays an enormous role and is noted to be the most important theme through the actions of the people and the reason why the banned books in the first place.

As Jack is devolving, there is notable point where it speeds up. Jacks reaction after seeing himself with a mask on is described as "He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger" (Golding 68). Golding uses this archetype to help Jack descend to a lower level. Jack doesn't feel the pressure of society when he wears a mask allowing him to be more susceptible to his urges. In addition to masks, the conch is symbolic to law and order. The boys at the end of the book haven't completely gone crazy because the conch was still an order enforcing figure on the boys. However, when the conch finally breaks the boys lose it and are fine with killing Ralph and following

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is about a futuristic society where books are banned in which Guy Montag is a fireman whose job is to eliminate the knowledge in this society. Until the breaking point of Montag would occur when his house was about to burn because of the curiosity of him wanting to learn more than his society has given him. Bradberry develops Montag in a way where the information that is censored gives him a false premise of understanding everything that he thinks he knows in his society. Until Montage obtains the books that are censored in the society that show the pathway of a true understanding of what reality that surrounds him. Bradberry wants to advocate that true knowledge is only obtained by understanding what lies within reality.

A mask is a covering for all or parts of the face, worn as a disguise, or to abuse or terrify other people (merriam Webster n.p). In the novel The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald use mask like a covering to hide each characters true emotions. Even today the use of mask can be found on just average people. A mask, we’ve all worn them for a variety of reasons, whatever it may be. It disguises who we are for at least a moment and can bring a sense of continuation for the time being. In this novel, the masks used by the author are most evident on three of the main characters, Myrtle, Daisy, and Jay Gatsby. They are looking for something else, because what they have just isn’t enough. We often wear masks to disguise who we are for a moment and

Consequently, he uses the need of meat to rationalize his savage behavior, although there is an abundance of fresh fruit. The need for this excuse is obviated when Jack starts to apply a mask of paint in order to liberate himself from "shame and self-consciousness" (64). Moreover, this self-deception enables him to become an "awesome stranger" (63), capable of wholly abandoning any sense of morality or ethics.

People hide their true identities behind masks they create and perfect. Some of them are stronger than others and therefore they create stronger masks. Even though Ralph gets elected as a leader, Jack seems to be stronger. Though, not a stronger personality, but rather by intimidating the smaller kids and gaining power from it. He then builds his very own mask: “Jack planned his new face. He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from right ear to left jaw […] He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger” (63). By putting the different colors on his face, Jack creates a new self. At

Jack is the first character to don body paint, giving into the temptation of setting the inner beast free. During the duration of Jack's juncture on the island, his grip on society’s rules fades away, and he gives into the desire of acting on every impulse. Before wearing a mask, Roger sees Jack in the distance in a very different light: “When Roger opened his eyes and saw him, a darker shadow crept beneath the swarthiness of his skin; but Jack noticed nothing” (Golding 62). Underneath

He then has his misconception that he is the only boy who has the complexity to wear a mask. Instead, he comes to believe that their appearance and action perfectly conformed to what they really are. While his peers "could be their natural selves," he must put on a mask and "gain control over [his] consciousness." And thus he comes to realize that the difference that separates him from his peers, other than his sexual orientation, is the mask and the secret, "shameful portion of [his] mind" that hides behind it.