Imagine a culture where books are prohibited, where the basic rights illustrated in the First Amendment hold no weight and society is merely a brainwashed, mechanical population. According to Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, this depiction is actually an exaggerated forecast for the American future - and in effect is happening around us every day. Simply reading his words can excite theories and arguments pertaining not only to the banning of books but to our government structure itself. Age-old debates about Communism and equality are stirred by the trials of characters in Bradbury's unique world. By studying the protagonist, Guy Montag, and his personal challenges we can, in a sense, evaluate our own lives to see that we don't make similar mistakes.
While the book is definitely a critique of society and of the government, readers are given many dominant themes to follow, and to find all of them requires several readings. The main plot, following Montag, illustrates the importance of making mistakes in order to grow. For example, at the very end of the book Granger (an outspoken rebel to the book-banning laws) compare
In a brief summary of Bradbury's piece it must be noted exactly how this unyielding civilization developed as it did. Guy Montag's boss, Captain Beatty, describes the problem by explaining that long ago, special-interest groups and other "minorities" began to object to books and literary works that offended them. This led to a sudden monotony in new stories, as writers tried to avoid slighting anybody and were afraid to voice strong opinions. The eerie fact about Bradbury's work is that it hits a little too close to home: Schools worldwide are banning more and more books from their libraries and limiting the information that children are subjected to. This is a very evident form of brainwashing in that students only learn what teachers feel is suitable, a truth that is leaving growing amounts of people unprepared for their own futures and unable to cope with life when it hits them. Fahrenheit 451 shows one possible place for this prohibition to lead: eventual disregard for the written word and submission to the standards of an uneducated society.
Bradbury's solid pace and good description paint vivid images in the reader's mind
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