Totalitarianism In Fahrenheit 451

The dystopian American society presented in Fahrenheit 451 has an omnipotent government that inhibits the people through censorship and surveillance. When the book was written in the 1950s, spies, nuclear weapons, and new technology had just arouse from the Cold War and gave Americans an ominous and pessimistic perspective on their future. Throughout the opening pages, the government's absolute power allows them to manipulate reality and regulate the life of the populace. This adversely affects the life of the citizens and restricts their ability to think freely and be cognizant of the authoritative regime.

Juan Ramon Jimenez once said, “If they give you ruled paper, write the other way”. This quote shows the challenge of authority, like Montag and his society. Just like challenging the normal, or doing the opposite of what seems to be right by “writing the other way” on a lined piece of paper, Montag chooses to challenge authority by reading, remembering, and comprehending books, instead of burning them. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury takes place in a dystopian society in the twenty-fourth century and the main character is Guy Montag. He is a fireman whose job is to burn books and start fires instead of putting them out. Moreover, he lives in a society which just listens to government propaganda and follows whatever they are told; the citizens do not think deeply about aspects in life but rather focus on mind-numbing activities, that does not take any deep thought process. Books are banned but Montag takes the risk to start to read books, hoping they will bring him happiness in the dark world he lives in. In his journey he has three mentors who help him, Clarisse, Faber, and Granger. The protagonist, Guy Montag, changes as a result of the conflict within his dystopian society and this change connects to the novel’s theme of government censorship over its citizens.

In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the government obtains and maintains power over the populous by destroying any information that could stand against the government’s view of what

Granted the Party can warp laws and control knowledge, its greatest tool for taking away freedoms and controlling the public is its ability to revise history. This idea is displayed throughout the novel, and is fundamental to our understanding of how perfect the Party is. A prime example occurs when Winston is at his job at the Ministry of Truth, the manipulators of history and truth. He contemplates how he simply substitutes one lie for another in his daily work rewriting history, and explains, “And so it was with every class of recorded fact, great or small. Everything faded away into a shadow-world in which, finally, even the date of the year had become uncertain" (Orwell 36). This highlights the genius of the Party’s control; there is no history. As mentioned earlier, the Party controls all publications, and destroys all facts that are not helpful. Much of it is simply fake information that bolsters the Party. Thus, when Winston changes

In Fahrenheit 451, the government uses fear, propaganda, and brutal force to gain control of their citizens.The goal was enable ignorance to control society for instance, Firemen burned books for “censorship” books informed people with information which was threatful to the government because it was easier to control people if they were

The government’s role and control of the flow of knowledge and memory only benefits themselves. It can be seen that the government controls the withdrawal of knowledge and memory through the firemen in this society who work for the government. A scene where we can see that society is controlling and limiting the flow of knowledge and memory is when Beatty is talking to Montag inside Montag’s house when Montag is sick, “Don’t give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy” (Bradbury 58). Beatty is the fire chief in this society, so he is somewhat connected to the government because he works for them; he says to Montag that the government doesn’t give the citizens things such as philosophy

Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451 wrote a book about a society that is extremely different from today. In Fahrenheit 451, books are a thing of the past. The government has prohibited the possession and use of books to the people. Because of this, all knowledge of the past is eradicated from the minds of the people. The people within this society don’t understand or acknowledge anything that is happening around them. Not only is the world wartorn, but it is also extremely unaware of the things the government is doing. The people fail to recognize what is happening to them, and how they are being manipulated and controlled. The main character, Guy Montag is a firefighter. But, not the kind one might think. He does quite the opposite, and burns any books that are found in the hands of the people. Over the course of the story, Montag realizes how the lack of human interaction and freedom of the people, leads to the extreme government control over the city.

In 1947, the United States of America faced the beginning of the Cold War. The Cold War lasted about 45 years. Within that time; in 1953, one of the most influential American authors published his Science-Fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451. Fahrenheit 451 is about a Dystopian culture in which books are forbidden, and burned. Burning the books is a type of censorship, in which the citizens are only permitted to read books that have been preapproved by the government. The conflicts and concerns expressed in Senator Joseph R. McCarthy’s speech that give rise to the society and atmosphere created by Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451 is government control and fear.

In America, the ideas of free thinking and speech are promoted. This is one of the most basic ideas of which America was built on. However, in Ray Bradbury’s book Fahrenheit 451, the complete opposite is shown. He describes a dystopian society in which the American government reigns control over most of the population. The government keeps Americans ignorant to make them happy, and to maintain absolute control over them. They censor anything that can provoke thoughts and make people unhappy. The government keeps absolute control over their populous by maintaining control over the media shown and by hunting people who do what the government banned.

Over seventy years after he lived and wrote, the works of English journalist and democratic socialist George Orwell, continue to fascinate, stimulate and enrage his readers concerning the structure of society and the organization of government. The controversial writer openly spoke out against the absolute power of any government, warning that a fascist government would deprive its people of their basic freedoms and liberties. Orwell’s novel, 1984, serves as a reminder of the danger of totalitarianism by depicting a future in which all citizens live under the constant surveillance of the “Big Brother.” Through the main character, Winston Smith, Orwell demonstrates the dangers of totalitarianism; writing of the consequences of absolute government in several essays and proposing socialism as an alternative. To Orwell, the role of government is to represent the common people rather than the old and the privileged.

Does the government have too much power over the people? That's the question I ask myself when I read Fahrenheit 451. Some examples of this is the also a main part of the book, burning books. They do this to show power and authority by making people think that books offend people.

This way of thinking is also twisted in a sense, because totalitarian governments do not care for the well being of its people. The people who rule only want power. That is why the reader realizes that the piece of literature is dystopic. In Fahrenheit 451, the totalitarian government controls the police, mechanical hounds, and the firemen. The firemen act under the wishes of the government to burn people's books. An explanation of the firemen is revealed in Beatty's quote, " …there was no longer need of firemen for the old purposes. They were given the new job, as custodians of out peace of mind, the focus of our understandable and rightful dread of being inferior: official censors, judges, and executors. That's you, Montag, and that's me" (58, 59). Beatty is explaining the reason that governments created firemen to burn books. The government can censor information that the public receives with the creation of the firemen, and it is the job to the people and the firemen to do their duties without question. That illustrates the totalitarian government in the society of Fahrenheit 451.

In “Fahrenheit 451” a novel by Ray Bradbury the censorship and oppression of the people lead to the the complete loss of individuality and the inevitable demise of this utopian society.The belief that opinion causes sadness leads to the banning of certain key things in a modern day society.

Conformity plays an intricate role in many dystopian settings. Civilization in Fahrenheit 451 is forced to purge itself of books, as community leaders, including the nefarious Captain Beatty, claim this as a necessity for the sake of general happiness. According to the governing body this drastic measure prevents individuals from forming opinions and, therefore, helps prevent discord. Any citizens found with books in their homes face dire consequences. Their houses are doused with kerosene and set alight by the notorious firemen, and should book-owners refuse to submit the books to the conflagration, the owners themselves are left to burn. This deliberate spurning of intellectual activity leads to a society dominated by, and even encourages, narrow-minded, shallow individuals who are easily manipulated by government propaganda. As the main character, a fireman named Guy Montag, begins to realize, this government-controlled, and

It can be stated without hesitation that one of the most controversial types of government is totalitarianism. Fueled by a single dictator, this form of political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life. This oppressive brand of government subjects an individual to no expression of any cultural, political or religious beliefs. Since the individuality of citizens is seized and all expression is suppressed by the government, a majority of society does not agree with alot of the systems policies. To simplify, the nature of a totalitarian state is complete control and it is heavily disputed by many. In George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ray Bradbury’s