Preview

Reflection On Fahrenheit 451

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
680 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Reflection On Fahrenheit 451
In “Fahrenheit 451”, Ray Bradbury creates a world in which happiness is associated with distractions, arguing that true satisfaction, however, cannot be obtained from such illusions.

A distraction is anything that takes up one’s time. Distraction are often viewed negatively because they derail one’s original path. Examples such as the television attracting one’s eyes away from their paper (wink wink) are a nuisance in this world, but in “Fahrenheit 451” that same pull is viewed equal to that of gravity. This mindset is clearly explained by captain Beatty in his speech to montag on the history of the Firemen“...So bring on your clubs and parties, your acrobats and magicians, your daredevils, jet cars, motorcycle helicopters, your sex and heroin,
…show more content…
For the majority of the book, Montag believes that books are what is missing in his life, but as faber goes on to explain “Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores.” () Faber is explaining how books produce a true experience, that is an experience that isn't hollow or shallow. Books are not the only thing that can carry this kind of weight, TV and radio could easily contain such sustenance, it is just not demanded by the people anymore. Montag is not happy because the world he lives in is just distractions full of bright colors, sugar, and noises. There no time to analyze, there is no need to think.

Fahrenheit 451 presents a world where people have lost all depth. Happyness is given to the people, it is no longer being earned. It is all an illusion of satisfaction. Arguement:
Some might argue that if an individual has grown fond of an illusion, then why wake them from that joy? Now, that is a fair point, but as we see in the book, if they wake up, they realize how unhappy they truly are. When the parlor is powered off, and the lights go out, and the people are left with only their thoughts, the results are devastating. Mildred overdoses, her friends burst into tears, and for those that can survive the awakenment, like Montag, they fight for the return of the old ways. Happyness from a dream is just that, a dream. It is the prelude to a journey, which in turn will lead to real

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Everyone is happy. Why shouldn’t they be? There is enough to eat, enough walls with family in them to keep everyone occupied, enough sports for others, and cars speeding to a hundred miles an hour for those who are adventurous. If someone is tired, there is always a fistful of pills that can guarantee a good night’s sleep. And most important of all there are no books to hurt anyone’s feeling or to poison anyone’s mind with conflicting thoughts. These are the hallmarks of the society in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where the primary purpose of life is hedonism, an uninhibited…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throught the speech, Beatty keeps on convincing Montag about how he can have curiosity like him, but books are just boring, useless and unhealthy at the end of the day. This also demonstrates the irony in Beatty’s tone because according to how meaningful and convincing his words are and his claims are, he’s just as knowledgable as the kind of people society wants to…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Even though family dynamics cost Montag his marriage, his home, and his crime-free history, throughout chapters two and three, Montag really grows as a character. When he first meets Clarisse on page three, he thinks her ideas to be crazy nonsense. However, he decides to come out of the closet about his secret book collection, works with Faber in chapter two on a plan to sabotage the houses of firemen, and finally stands up for what he believes in when he shakes the firemen and begins life on the run in chapter three. Eventually he joins Granger's gang of book-loving hobos, and they begin their work to keep books alive. If not for family dynamics, he would have never begun his book crusade. Even though family dynamics are in most ways negative, in the case of Faber family dynamics are a positive. Montag convinces Faber to join his plot to sabotage firemen's houses (82-86). Montag's pain from his losses kindles his passion for justice and return to healthy society, and Montag's passion inspires Faber. Family dynamics inspire Montag to fight, and Montag inspires old Professor Faber to finally return to doing something with his life, making him feel proud to be doing something again. In the case of Granger, family dynamics allow him to keep the legacy of books. As the family dynamics change, Granger is inspired to keep his legacy alive. As families turn from loving groups to TV-watching groups of individuals, Granger is inspired to teach people to act differently, and passes on literature by word of mouth. If it weren't for family dynamics, Granger would have no reason to seek out fellow book-lovers, and his cause allows him to forge friendships…

    • 1661 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel in which society is brainwashed and perturbed of their technological advancements and government. So much so that books are outlawed and firemen no longer control fires- but start them. The main protagonist; Guy Montag, is a firefighter whom meets an angelic crossroad that changes his outlook of society. With a burning passion for books and the mindset to prolong the life of the books; he sets out to cherish every book he can obtain. Even if it means going against the law and having the chance of being arrested or murdered.…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the science fiction/ dystopian novel of “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, the citizens, as well as the government, shunned books. However, in place of the books is the four- walled televisor. The televisor (or television) is where the broad predominance of people watched a program called “the families”. While visiting Montag, Captain Beatty informs the reader about the downfall of the book.…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Books reflect life. “It's not books you need, it's some of the things that once were it books..the same infinite detail and awareness could be projected through radios and televisions, but are not” said Faber. Showing Montag technologies once in the past that are also stories in books. Televisions, phones and radios are used in ways such as making your voice heard. “We are living in a time when flowers are trying to live on flowers, instead of growing on good rain and black loam” said Faber. There isn't room to grow and be free. Everything is being watched and controlled without having a voice. Books reflect life such as the chapter's go by what's next not…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Although many may strive to develop a utopian society, this ideal is only an unattainable dream that can never become reality; a wish that can never be brought to life. As many aim for this unrealistic ideal, many utopian societies first appear as is; a perfect society with a flawless government and harmonious people- at least on the surface. But when we are provided with a closer look at this supposed utopian society, it is revealed that, at some point in time, this society slowly began to spiral downwards. It would soon develop into a dystopian society where social values and standards have become greatly distorted and skewed. When applying the themes in this book to our current society, comparisons can be drawn in areas such as technology, social interactions and education in both societies.…

    • 1881 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay on Fahrenheit 451

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Are you controlled by your government? This is a question that you honestly must pontificate. I read this book and felt the strong underlying presence that people were poisoned by the government and its twisted ways. Author Ray Bradbury shows throughout the book “Fahrenheit 451” how this dystopian society is controlled by fear, the fire department, and mass media.…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Fahrenheit 451 has several unique themes such as Technology and Religion. This novel takes place in a futuristic world and throughout it demonstrates symbolic materials such as the small seashells radio broadcasts in the people's ear. Technology has virtually immersed itself at that time. Montag asked Faber if there was any copies of the Bible and some other books but finds a way to get a hold of one, even though reading books is illegal. Near the end, when Guy finds a group of men called “The Book People” they tell Montag to remember the book of Ecclesiastes from the Bible. This story mainly focuses on firefighters burning books because of its “unpopularity” and at 451o Fahrenheit books incinerate. That is why this book is called “Fahrenheit…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    To conclude, in Bradbury’s book, happiness is an illusion to the majority of society and they never truly experience happiness or sadness. From Montag’s point of view, he goes against everything he has ever known to reach true happiness, whether he realizes it or not. Montag meets Clarisse, the curious neighbor, learns about the past, and struggles through first hand battles to attain…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury presented me with a greater understanding of what some people predicted a futuristic society would represent, and how the world differs from what Ray Bradbury depicted. The novel elucidated the fact that this community frowns upon books very harshly, and this society has made a job description to burn houses that contain books in them. The whole time I was reading this novel I was thinking that this society could be my community right now by reading the quotation, “We’ve started and won two atomic wars since 1990!” (Bradbury, 73). This excerpt proves that civilians could be living in an alternate society at this moment since the year 1990 has already passed, and this reference intrigued me while…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montag claims, “’ I've heard rumors; the world is starving, but we're well-fed. Is it true, the world works hard and we play? Is that why we're hated so much? I've heard the rumors about hate, too, once in a long while, over the years. Do you know why? I don't, that's sure! Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave’” (70). His society has become ignorant and unaware about their surrounding because they lack books. They are uneducated on what is occurring around the world and are too focused on their television to care. Montag’s society is not informed about the situations taking place because they only rely on the television for entertainment. Their ignorance allows them to live a blissed life. His population has become illiterate and unknowledgeable without books, they only trust what the government claims to be…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Without happiness, sadness cannot exist. In today’s society, happiness and sadness coexist and form an unbreakable bond. In Ray Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, that bond does not exist. In this book, the main character, Guy Montag, desperately wants to be happy; but society tells him to stay neutral. Montag understands that he never genuinely happily married his wife when he meets a clever girl named Clarisse McClellan. Montag breaks free of society’s expectations with the help of Clarisse, by learning about the past, and through his own, more literal, battles to finally achieve true happiness.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Censorship, limits on personal freedoms, and their societies distaste for literature are all issues addressed in Ray Bradbury's novel titled Fahrenheit 451. Not only does Bradbury's novel engage itself in these issues but as well as The United States First Amendment, and article from February 2013 on censorship, and an original poem by Billy Collins called "Rain" all intertwine with each other. Although in a free society there should not be any censorships, but yet most free societies have them. There are many benefits and dangers when it comes to censorships in a free society. Censorships that are in free societies are not really free, but a restricted society.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Culture In Fahrenheit 451

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The protagonist in this story, Guy Montag, changes a lot throughout the story. Guy seems to be just a normal fireman until he meets a girl named Clarisse. Clarisse makes Guy rethink who he really is when she asks him if he’s happy and he says to himself, “Of course I’m happy. What does she think? I’m not? (Bradbury 8). As the quote explains, Guy is really having trouble dealing with himself. He is a fireman but isn’t sure if he wants to be one anymore after what Clarisse talked to him about. Montag has a very interesting relationship with his wife, Mildred. In our society today, marriage is a very meaningful sacrament. Guy and Mildred’s relationship seems more like a mutual agreement than actual love. In the book, Guy cannot even remember where him and his wife first met: . This is a clear indication that the people in this society have almost no emotion and are brainwashed. Another main character is Captain Beatty. Captain Beatty is the antagonist of the story and a fireman who works with Guy Montag. Even though Beatty is a fireman, he seems to be very knowledgeable on books. Many times in Fahrenheit 451, he quotes famous quotes and seems to be more knowledgeable than the average man: “All’s well that is well in the end.” (Bradbury 104) Beatty says this to confuse Montag even though Beatty obviously knows the actual Shakespearian quote, “All’s well that ends well.” Although Beatty seems very educated, he acts like he wants to die. Towards the end of the book, Beatty teases Montag to kill him after Montag torches his…

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays