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Are The Similarities Between By The Waters Of Babylon And Fahrenheit 451

Decent Essays

Fahim Belfatmi
Hr. 4
Mrs.Jungwirth

It’s been said that the truth hurts, but a lie is worse. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury and “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benét connect in many ways, one of the many would be by theme. Although some differences between the two books are evident the similarities are pronounced. The similarities would be how the past is kept from the people with lies in both stories, also how both are curious and want to find the truth, and lastly how they both have a character change. Early on in Fahrenheit 451, we see how the past is kept from the people with lies at one point in the book Clarisse said, “Is it true that long ago firemen put out fires instead of going to start them” (8). That says a great deal about how the people aren’t even aware of what firemen used to actually do, later in the book they're actually told a lie that firemen have always burned houses and books. In the short story “By the Waters of Babylon”, John is told to withhold the truth about how the so called “Gods” were human at one point he says, “I wished to tell all the people but [My dad] showed me otherwise” (184). His dad later tells him how and why he can't tell his people by saying, “ Truth is a hard deer to hunt. If you eat too much Truth at once, you may die of the truth” (184). In the first quote it shows that the truth and past are withheld from the people. The second quote shows a metaphor that basically says that maybe the people can't handle the truth. In both Stories the past is kept from the people to supposedly keep them safe, but the two characters John and Montag are curious to find the truth. Both Montag and John are curious and will stop at nothing to find the truth. Even if it means breaking laws or doing the forbidden. Montag seeks out the truth by reading books which is against the law. John seeks out the truth by going east, crossing the river, and going to the gods land which are all forbidden. Montag's curiosity was really struck when he was talking to Mildred and told her, “ There must be something in books things we can't imagine to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't just stay there for nothing” (51). That shows he's

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