The Problems in the Novel Fahrenheit 451

In the novel Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury, which is a dystopian fiction book, illustrates how the society in which the story is portrayed in turns to chaos. The citizens of the society become afraid of the people who they should trust to keep them safe, which are the firefighters, because they burn any books that they come in contact with. In the ending of Part 1 of the book, Captain Beatty tells Guy Montag about the history and the reason behind books being burned.

He explains to Montag that books are being burnt due to them containing content that offends the minorities of their society, require the reader to think, and for taking up too much time in a person’s life.

Generally, the books were banned because the minorities in the society were offended at the words that the authors would type and print on the pages. The readers were unable to accept the author’s evil thoughts and words that were bunched up along the pages. Just like those who smoke cigarettes, someone’s written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book (Bradbury 57). People become so offended at what they hear and see, that they will burn what is being shown to them to get rid of it forever, so that it will never show up in history ever again. The minorities will only accept things that bring them pleasure and laughs, rather than facts, so they turn their focus on the parlor walls, which they believe to be their family and the only people who listen to them. They want to keep their ideas open to the world that is around them, but won’t accept the truth that is right in front of them.

Furthermore, firemen are being forced to burn books because they require the reader to think beyond the depths that the government believes shouldn’t be reached. The government wants its citizens to focus on work, rather than their education. When people have to put thinking into stuff that doesn’t require it, it whirl[s] man’s mind around about so fast under the pumping hands of publishers, exploiters, broadcasters, that the centrifuge flings off all unnecessary, time-wasting thought! (Bradbury 52). This description shows how the government finds it needless for its citizens to focus on what our current society finds important, an education. They’d rather have them put their train of thought on their work, which just requires them to push a button and pull switches. In addition, this shows how the majority of the minorities work in warehouses or somewhere industrial.

Finally, Captain Beatty also explains to Montag that books became illegal due to how they began to take up too much time in a person’s life. He further explains how getting rid of books has made life easier for the citizens, just as zippers have made getting dressed faster because the zipper displaces the button and a man lacks that much time to think while dressing at dawn, a philosophical hour, and a melancholy hour (Bradbury 53). Beatty’s words explain how books, just like buttons, are an inconvenience to everyday life because it requires one to put time and thought into something that shouldn’t need it. Also, his words show that the government wants its citizens to live in ease, which is why they have banned books from the homes of the minorities. Banning books has made everything that we would learn in school degrade from the society.

Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 illustrates the reasons behind the banning of books as Captain Beatty has a speech with Guy Montag about how the decision came about. In the society that Fahrenheit 451 takes place in, the firefighters are forced to burn books due to them being illegal. As Beatty talks with Montag, he explains that books became illegal due to them containing content that offends the minorities of the society, requires the reader to think, and consumes too much time in a person’s life.

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