Dangers of a Divided Society in Fahrenheit 451, by Ray...

‘Fahrenheit 451’, by Ray Bradbury, is a novel which invokes much thought about the way we live in society today. Through the protagonist, Guy Montag, Bradbury makes a wider point about the dangers that a divided society can present. In the novel, Bradbury creates a society in which all books and free thought are forbidden. It is clear to us that books are seen to be the source of all unhappiness and should therefore be prohibited. As a fireman, it is Montag’s job, not to put out fires, as is the case in today’s society but instead to create fires in order to dispose of all unwanted books. This creates an idea of dystopia by the government trying to please everyone by using censorship to limit people’s independence and free thinking. As the†¦show more content†¦Montag sees himself as an artist creating a thing of pure magnificence in the fire. Bradbury further stresses Montag’s opinion of fire by using a key metaphor. ‘He strode in a swarm of fireflies’ In using this metaphor, Bradbury creates the image of the fragments of past books being fireflies. Fireflies are creatures that bring light to darkness. This acts as an effective link to Montag’s view of fire as a thing of beauty. Fireflies also possess a certain aura of magic and mystery creating an almost serene beauty. To Montag, things that are alight become beautiful and so the sparks of the fire are seen as beautiful. This helps to emphasise the satisfaction Montag takes in his work. The following stages of the novel reveal an unusual feeling. At this point we are introduced to Clarisse, an innocent teenage girl with a boundless curiosity who does not follow the trend and who acts as a catalyst, speeding up Montag’s change. The world that she lives in has not ruined her and therefore she seems to possess a sense of purity. She seems to be at the opposite end of the spectrum to Montag. The world Montag lives in has transformed him into an incurious human being with no notion to question anything. His lack of independence onlyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4511743 Words   |  7 PagesIn Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist, Guy Montag, suddenly realizes his overwhelming discontent with life when he meets Clarisse McClean, a seventeen year old girl who introduces him to beauty of the world and the notion of questioning ones surroundings. This novel, having been released shortly after the Second Read Scare, a time when fear of communism lead to the baseless accusation of political figures by Senator McCarthy, was received with mixed reviews. However, today more so thanRead MoreEssay The Myopia of Dystopia3805 Words   |  16 Pagesrather one of the indescribable atrocities of war, disease, hunger etc#8230; A utopian world is a difficult, if not impossible, one to forge. Novels such as Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and 1984 are dystopian novels, with often-satirical undertones within their pages. This works are allegories, sardonic depictions of our societies ills. Each work contain strong hard-hitting political messages with common themes such as the fine line that divides a utopia and a dystopia and the sharp contrast in theRead MoreIntroduction : How ve He Do That?10829 Words   |  44 PagesAlonso did not have a set place to go to for his quest; it was fate that took him to the places where people needed him and his assistance the most. (c) The stated reason to go there is to save ‘Donce llas’ from monsters and other people possibly in danger. (d) Don Quixote and Sancho Panza stumble into a series of comedic mishaps due to the fact that Don Quixote wasn’t fully on his five senses within this realm if you may say, but rather imagines the ordinary world of the Spanish countryside as more