What is the Role of Censorship in Fahrenheit 451?

The bombs fell, the city burned, the government has not succeeded. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, introduces many themes that shape reality throughout the book. The author uses events to show the reason why things are happening like they are happening and how society is dying to do to technology due to the people. A society driven by the values of censorship and conformity will fail by the people.

Government Censorship in Fahrenheit 451

Censorship is one of the most common themes shown over and over in Fahrenheit 451.

Censorship is set into place by the government but is run by the people themselves. The government doesn't want the people to become smarter than them so they put censorship into place so they aren't able to read books, and if they do the firemen will burn their house down. They even burn the people if they don't leave their house and stay with the books. "Magazines became a nice blend of vanilla tapioca. Books so the damned snobbish critics said, were dishwasher. No wonder books stopped selling the critics said"(Bradbury 59). Beatty explains to Montag that censorship happened because the people allowed it. They wanted to be happy and now have outside distractions. Now, this could be a good thing but it was all a cover-up so the people really didn't know as much.

This relates to today's work beachside people are starting to not read as much which leads to people not knowing that information. I believe that this is currently hitting our society and Bradbury could see this so that's why he used it in the book. "It didn't come from the government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship to start with no!"(Bradbury 68). Beatty explains that censorship did not come from the government but really the people themselves. The people wanted stuff to get done faster to they took advantage of technology but cofmpletely left out reading. They go so used to doing this that they didn't even think of reading and them it was set into place. They thought they would be happier if they didn't have thoughts going through their mind. This is so much the same with our world today, everyone is always on their phone or using some type of internet throughout the day and this has hurt how people understand and learn because they aren't reading as much. "It's not the books you need; it's some of the things the were once inside the book"(Bradbury 114). The few men that have read and memorized the book plan to share this information from generation to generation they are doing this so they can share it with the "people" once they are ready. As soon as they are ready censorship will come to an end.

The information in the books is so booming that some people just don't want to face reality. It can be hard sometimes but your can't just follow other people your whole life and Bradbury is proving that point here. This brings back the statement of censorship. "Not everyone is born free and equal and the constitution says...each man the I image of the other"(Bradbury 55). This part is the novel is telling us that everyone is equal and no one has any greater rights in a dystopian society. From a early age they are thought not to read and that it's a bad thing so for some people and the newer generation that is all they know. They actually think it's a good thing not to read and if you do read you don't belong in society. In all the people have completely messed up the way of life for everyone. "So now do you see why books are hated and feared? They show to pores in the face of life" (Bradbury 79). Faber tells the reader the untold truth about literature in society. As Montag starts to read the novel his character starts to become happier then he start to retaliate against society and the government.

He starts to realize what the government is hiding all the bad stuff from people to make them believe that society is perfect and has no problems. "We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren't happy. Something's missing.. So i thought books might help" (Bradbury 62). This line took place between Montag and Faber. This quote is important because it brings out Bradbury's theme of conformity and that it brings out human happiness. He explains that we all should be happy just because everyone lives the same life. Faber and Montag both illustrate to the reader that is a false statement. Faber later says that "it's not the books that we need but the information in the books that we need"(Bradbury 78). This helps Montag's statement that books help people understand literature and without it people won't truly be happy.

Censorship and conformity are shown many times throughout the whole book. The whole reason is to show a lesson to all the readers. That thing might not seem the easiest and you might think you are happy for a short time but inside there is no happiness. One thing that sets this book apart from most other stories is that it teaches an overall lesson. Shows us that we need to stop being on our phone all the time and actually gaining knowledge from what is inside these books

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