Fahrenheit 451 Analysis Essay

The theme of Ray Bradbury’s classic Fahrenheit 451 can be viewed from several different angles. First and foremost, the book gives an anti-censorship message. Bradbury understood censorship to be a natural outcropping of an overly tolerant society. Yet, the protagonist Guy Montag is one of the few that is courageous enough to find out the truth for himself. This unexpected discovery on the corruption of society challenged traditional values, knowledge and beliefs. The personal freedom to the right of an individual having the freedom of expression when he utilizes the issue of censorship in Fahrenheit 451. In Bradbury’s novel, society has evolved to such an extreme that all literature is illegal to possess. Because of the trouble books may cause, they were banned altogether. For example, one group might think they had a really great idea and wrote it in a book, however, the other group might object to something that has been written, that means the book will have to be modified and therefore censorship begins. Soon, another group objects to something else in the book, and it is again edited, eventually the original product will be lost. Because of this presented danger, no longer can books be read, not only because they might offend someone, but because books raise questions for the people that the government cannot answer. The intellectual thinking that comes from knowledge can often be dangerous, yet, who would want to do that when they can take the easy route? â€Å"Ignorance is bliss† applies perfectly here. The government would rather rule the people orderly than have them start a revolution with knowledge. This philosophy, according to the book, completely ignores the benefits of knowledge. True, knowledge can cause disharmony because it causes people to ask â€Å"why†, but in many ways, knowledge of the past, which is recorded in books, can prevent mankind from making similar mistakes in the present and future. The society envisioned in Fahrenheit 451 is corrupted. As Captain Beatty explains, government control of people’s lives there was not a conspiracy of dictators, but a consensus of everyday people instead. The citizens are so weak-minded that they don’t want to think for themselves and solve the troubling problems of the world. They don’t have much emotion, because they prefer pleasure over hurt. The only way they can do this is to not care. The parlor women, for example, cannot see past the surface. They are more interested in looks than reality; they are so shallow that they cannot see one’s true qualities. It is far easier to live a life of seclusion and a life where technology will provide you with all necessities. Yet more importantly, Fahrenheit 451 described the people in that society as anti-social. Clarisse, the only â€Å"normal† girl mentioned that people in that society doesn’t talk much, at all. They are â€Å"either shouting or dancing around like wild† (30), but the key point is, â€Å"people don’t talk about anything† (31), â€Å"they name a lot of cars or clothes or swimming pools mostly and say how swell!† (31) They do not quite live in the reality, only using abstract things to entertain themselves. â€Å"They all say the same things and nobody says anything different† (31) because in their eyes, technology and the government is always correct. This is very similar to our world today, almost everyone some kind of technology: television, computer, hand held devices. When we have a choice between technology or nature. It is almost certain that technology wins. We are on the computer three to four hours a day, doing work, checking email, social media, or just simply surfing the web. Our everyday life is technology; we depe nd on it so much that it is almost impossible to live without it. People in the novel are afraid of themselves, of what their minds are capable of doing. They fear the thought of knowing, which leads them to depend on others, such as technology and the government to think for them. The best example would be the protagonist Guy Montag. His entire view on life shifted as the book progressed. He was originally a normal fireman, but when he met his neighbor Clarisse McClennen, who was considered a misfit in the society, he began to see things differently. Instead of burning books because it’s useless information to the public, he now wants to share its knowledge with the whole world. Montag is at war with the society, he’s battling against the â€Å"common knowledge† and laws, trying to shine some light on the people. Thus, the book successfully advocates the idea that men should think for themselves, not let technology or any outside sources decide for them. Technology may provide you with joy, but to live life to the fullest, you have to try everything, and there are no substitute for the treasure you can find in books. It’s like Montag said, â€Å"I went around doing one thing and feeling another.† (131) as he reflects on all the trouble that he has gotten into because he has not been true to himself. Although this path might not be easy, it is necessary for any society that doesn’t wish to repeat the mistakes of the past to earn knowledge. Our society today needs to realize that before it is too late.