fahrenheit 451 2 Essay

Submitted By carolinewhalen
Words: 918
Pages: 4

Caroline Whalen
F- Block
Fahrenheit 451

How would you like to live in a world where you can be punished for having a book in your house? Fahrenheit 451 utilizes censorship by banning books. The author Ray Bradbury applied evidence during the story of how and why censorship can lead to disastrous things. There is no democracy, the people are told what to do, and they have to do it. No one wants that but in the book the society is completely brainwashed to the point that they can’t see that this is wrong. Henry Steele Commager said, “The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion”. Throughout the book people are being controlled with censorship. It takes away their freedom, literature, and nature, making the society dystopian. To begin with, the government in Fahrenheit 451 does not care about freedom. A society without free speech is a world that will never change. By removing a person’s true beliefs, it allows for a world of conformity to replace it. A fire fighter with a surprisingly optimistic mind met a young girl Clarisse. Clarisse had a way about her that made Montag curious. He found her late at night while he was working and decided to walk her back to her house. During this walk Clarisse told Guy “You're not like the others. I've seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon, last night. The others would never do that". (Part 1) Clarisse is saying that it is very rare to find a person who can have a normal conversation and enjoy the outside world beyond the television. Clarisse is one of the few left with an open mind. They’re people who try there hardest to keep books out of the society’s lives and think it’s for the best. Captain Beatty head fireman is one of these people. Beatty reminds Montag to "remember, we're the Happiness Boys... you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought”.(Part 1) Beatty is a main reason why freedom is taken away and makes sure those who try to break the rules of reading are punished. In addition, Literature barely exists in Fahrenheit 451. Through literature, we are able to analyze how and why people think the way they think and feel the way they feel. Without literature in the world, there would be unhappiness and a lack of the understanding of human nature. Mildred, Guy’s wife is severely depressed and bothered by the way her life is. But, Mildred thinks she needs to be happy. Mildred insists to her husband that she’s satisfied with their life. In a conversation between Guy and Mildred she addresses her life by saying “I’m Proud of it”. (Part 2) Mildred doesn’t understand that it’s normal to tell people you’re sad, she just continues her empty life with hours of mindless television. Montag got irritated by Mildred’s friends one night in a parlor and couldn’t hold it in and decided to read them something. The women laughed at first saying “What good is this, what’ll you prove”. (Part 2) But then Montag began reading a poem called “Dover Beach” and by the end of it Mrs. Phelps was crying. As much as the women didn’t want to admit it the poem actually touched them in a way they have never felt before. Now, never having literature in their lives Mrs. Phelps and Mrs.