Hey y'all! I am on a mission to read more classic books and write analytical reviews on them this year. For my first, I read Fahrenheit 451. If you want to see my thoughts on it, keep reading!
Ray Bradbury created his most famous piece, Fahrenheit 451, by using exaggerative
faults of society to tell the thought-provoking story of a world, not wholly
unlike this one, in desperate need of re-examination. Fahrenheit
451
begins with the opening line: "It was a pleasure to burn" (3), which
resonates throughout the entire book in intriguing ways. Main character, Guy Montag, has only
one job; to burn all illegal books and the homes harbouring them. When he begins, he
carries out his duties to the fullest by burning all literary devices without
batting an eye. He
soon began to open his eyes to the horror of his world however, when he
develops a friendship with his neighbour named Clarisse McClellan who urges
Montag to re-examine his life and actions. After causing the death of an elderly
woman, he realizes that although he thought he was serving society as a fireman, he was actually an
instrument of destruction.
Montag
resolves to change his ways for the better. After stealing a book from one of the
homes from his calls, he steadily changes into an enlightened man who wishes to
change the world. However,
when his wife reports him to his own fire department, he is forced to flee all that he knew to
save his life and keep the knowledge that he gained from the books safe. During his flight,
he meets a group of former professors, authors, and intellectuals who have
memorized literary works so that they might, one day, be printed and recreated. Deciding to join
them, he vows to begin anew. After
atomic bombs from the war flatten the city, Montag does not become saddened,
rather, he becomes excited as he and his group plan to foster a society where
books and free-thought can flourish.
By
creating a dystopian novel, Bradbury sends a warning to the reader to never
lose the ability to think for one's self. He also uses the books and their
messages, specifically, Uncle Tom's Cabin
and the Bible, to represent various opinions and ideas from other people. "White people
don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin?
Burn it. Take your fight outside. Better yet, into the incinerator." (59).
Burning the
books symbolise consciously disregarding someone else's opinions because they may differ
from the masses' or make someone uncomfortable. In looking at censorship in Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury sends a very
direct message showing readers what can happen if they allow the government to
take total control of what they do or do not, read, watch, and discuss. Through the book,
Bradbury shows the reader how high in esteem he holds literature and how he
thinks it affects the mind. Bradbury
creates the dystopian novel to remind the reader that the "parlour
walls" can only distract one from reality; books help one to see its many
facets.
Fahrenheit 451 has a general theme that focuses on the battle between man
versus society where the main character tries to fight the censorship
constantly pressed upon him. Although
he never explicitly mentions the word censor, Bradbury sends a direct message
that he has concerns for society and its tendency to stop people from thinking
freely. In Fahrenheit 451, censorship is shown through the
fireman system which prevents education and the freedom of expression by
burning books. Bradbury
also shows this by portraying society's obsession with visual
entertainment. His
society no longer seeks out cover-to-cover entertainment, but instant
gratification that comes in the form of television and radios. This allows the
government to control everything that the citizens use for entertainment to
turn them into virtual zombies. Mildred Montag, the wife of Guy Montag, lives the typical
lifestyle of a person brainwashed by humanity. She distances herself from real life by
identifying with "The Family", a three-dimensional television
programme in which she plays a scripted part. Her desire for a fourth wall of
television suggests that she no longer wants a part of the programme, but
instead, would prefer to become so submerged in the fantasy, that she withdraws
from her roles as a wife and human being (19). By continually suppressing any form of
knowledge from outside sources, like literary devices, the government converts
the people into mindless citizens that ask no questions.
In
Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury uses formal
diction. Through
the entirety of the novel, the author employs figurative languages and enriches
his story with description. Bradbury
uses long sentences at times to leave nothing to the imagination. He exquisitely
describes the Mechanical Hound using metaphor and simile, "It was like a
great bee came home from some field where the honey is full of poison wildness,
of insanity and nightmare, its body crammed with that over-rich nectar and now
it was sleeping the evil out of itself" (24). Sprinkled throughout the novel,
Bradbury also makes the stylistic choice of using comma splices instead of
reworking or creating a new sentence. Throughout the novel, he uses extensive
dialogue and reserves non-dialogue scenes for description, action, or
reflection. By
using rich language, he brings his story to life and adds greater depth to its
meaning.
Anyone
that reads Fahrenheit 451 would
probably take something from it, but it would have a particular impact on
someone that is
familiar with technology and has experienced consequences when one prioritizes
it. Because of
this, Fahrenheit 451 would have the
greatest impact on young adults and teenagers. At these ages, one has just begun to
form and develop opinions while also dealing with exposure from outside sources
like more mature individuals, technology and media which may cause them to
sway. Bradbury's book would
encourage them to think for themselves despite what the media or government
say. While the
book would greatly influence younger readers, Fahrenheit 451 has educational and interesting moments for all
ages.
If one understood it, after
reading the book, the reader should likely examine his or her life to ensure
that he does not practice any of the habits displayed in the book. By setting the story
in an unspecified future, it allows the reader to better relate to the idea of
what would happen if one became too lazy to think for himself. It encourages the reader
to consider everything; his relationships, beliefs, career, and life as a
whole. Even
though Bradbury wrote the book years ago, it still applies to this day and age.
This book
gives a compelling glance at the lifecycle that many people settle for, albeit
less dramatized, when they live a life based on instant gratification.
Throughout the entirety of the book,
Bradbury has an exceedingly negative attitude towards technology and a
rebellious one towards society. He sees technology as having two distinct roles; to act
as a drug that brainwashes people, and as a destroyer of pure life. Therefore, whenever
he speaks of it, he often associates the item with something bad. When describing the
television room, he writes, "You can shut them, say, 'Hold on a moment.' …
But who has ever torn himself from the claw that encloses you when you drop a
seed in a TV parlour?" (138) to show that the idea that television
parlours overwhelm common sense which has disastrous effects. Bradbury writes the
novel to show his distaste for banning of books. By doing so, and creating a world where
the people become small-minded, he shows his rebellious attitude. He also displays his
defiant mindset through the main character, Montag, who eventually resolves to
create a new world by rebelling.
Due to its futuristic setting
and warning tone, Fahrenheit 451
falls under categories of both science-fiction and dystopian literature. His novel
categorizes itself as science-fiction because Bradbury creates advanced
technology like the mechanical hound and the wall-to wall television rooms. Additionally, the
book also falls under a text-book definition of dystopia. Fahrenheit 451 represents a future American society where books are forbidden so that
people will stop thinking for themselves and "firemen" have
permission to burn any they may come across. Bradbury paints a picture of a future
society defined by excessive authoritative control and limited personal
freedom. By
intertwining the two genres, science-fiction and dystopia, Bradbury effectively
creates a book that encompasses both reality with fantasy to create an entirely
unique reading experience.
This novel focuses almost
entirely on the protagonist, Guy Montag, and his development while the other
characters mature very little yet play an active role in building the
storyline. Because
Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel, while Montag acts
as the protagonist, rather than having a person play the antagonist, Bradbury
chooses society in its totality to play the adversary. Montag also epitomizes the sterotypycal
character as a caucasian, married, fireman with "black hair, black brows…fiery
face, and …blue-steel shaved but unshaved look." (17). While Bradbury considers society as the
antagonist of the novel, he used Captain Beatty, Montag's boss, as
its vessel. Beatty
fully encompasses the effects of living the exact life that society created. Through him, society
is able to take
human form and castigate Montag for not becoming a thoughtless citizen. Although the book
focuses on Montag, the supporting characters work to improve the plot.
Many aspects of Fahrenheit 451 contribute to making the novel impactful, but its
futuristic setting and powerful commentary on mankind's urge to suppress what it does not
understand, makes the novel a classic. His book is successful because, although it may
seem entirely far-fetched, he manages to sum up the direction that the world
has taken. Bradbury opens and closes the novel
with the most prominent symbol; fire. Despite the fact it begins as a
destructive force, immolating books and the freedom it represents, fire becomes
a sign of hope where Montag dreams that out of the ashes of the old city, the
Pheonix of a new civilization will arise (163). While the book did not end in a happy
ever after or complete despair as typical with dystopias, Montag's resolution
to contribute to creating a new society concludes the novel justly. Long after reading
this piece, the strength of Bradbury's vision of the future will remain
etched in the mind of the reader.
Overall? Would I read it again? Probably not. That's usually a sign that it wasn't very impactful in any way. Even though it wasn't my favourite book that I've ever read but, at the end of the day, I'm glad that I did. I've always wanted to read a classic dystopian novel, so I decided to get it over with since it's been on my shelf for years.
What about you, have you read Fahrenheit 451? Would you read it again? Recommend it? Let me know!
Chow xoxo,
The Novel Theorist
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