Fahrenheit 451 essay
Main question / core prompt: “Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953. What does the book have to offer readers in 2018?
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury is a book that has a lot to offer readers in 2018 in soo many ways, it’s crazy to think it was written soo long ago. This book mirrors into authority control and how much someone’s actions or words can influence us.
The setting of Fahrenheit 451 takes place in the future were society seems to be controlled and distracted with technology. There’s a greater meaning behind this, authority control is too strong. Authority has been keeping their people ignorant and naive about the world. For example, there’s a huge war going on for years above their heads but nobody asks why because it’s not normal to take in notice issues like those. This reminded me so much of our society, because people are soo entertained but everything technology brings up that they forget we’re on the brink of yet another possible nuclear war similar to that of the situation in the book. Also new technologies in the book such as the “seashells” and “parlorwalls” have kept the people so disconnected from the real world.
This goes for our society too with similar technology like headphones and TVs which rid from socializing. For example, Montag’s wife and her friends are soo into their damn parlor walls they’ve just become soo ignorant to the world outside them and think the war will be resolved in a matter of no time, but they really just don’t care.
People in this society don’t even know what really happiness is, they all look well on the outside but they’re just miserable on the inside. Everyone has been just like Montag, (main character) “dead” and just living to live with no cause. However this changes as soon as he meets a strange girl named Clarisse. Clarisse shook Montag soo much his views on the world started opening and changing drastically.
Montag was a very dynamic character who started off being regular like everyone else and only wanting to serve authority, to becoming an intellectual “madman” who started asking why instead of just taking orders. A great example of Montag’s immense change was when Granger says, “welcome back from the dead”. Montag was dead the whole time until he met Clarisse who brought to his life clarity. After Montag wants to know more about their society and read the books to see if the answer to his problems are there, he starts to be on the chase of finding himself mentally but also literally because he’s on the run.
Furthermore, what this book really helps offer people in 2018 is that happiness grows from within, genuine happiness radiates and should be shared just as much as knowledge and curiosity should. If one wants change they should take action like Montag did, don’t stick to something just because everyone else does, go your own direction and find what your destiny is. At the end of the day you’re the boss of your future, the world is in your hands.
Bradbury’s literary forms of writing (some explained):
(Tone/Mood) Ray Bradbury’ tone is very depressing & makes the reader feel bad for the main character being Montag. It also shows a ray of the power of individuality, for example, how Clarisse became a light in Montag’s dark world.
(Symbolism) Bradbury had an excellent form of symbolism in his writing. For example, I loved how he used the Phoenix in the beginning , which is one of my favorite mythical creatures, to describe mankind in the book and sort of foreshadowing what was going to happen in the plot, because the Phoenix burns itself up before rising from the ashes just like Montag did. Rebirth and the start of something new.
(Synecdoche) Which is a small part of something that represents the whole. Bradbury shows us a great form of synecdoche when all throughout the book he uses Montag’s hands to symbolize the whole character. All throughout the book Montag’s hands have been at work, restless and alone. As he starts to see light at the end of the tunnel his hands become significant to the larger meaning behind the book which is that “the world is in your hands”.
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury is a book that has a lot to offer readers in 2018 in soo many ways, it’s crazy to think it was written soo long ago. This book mirrors into authority control and how much someone’s actions or words can influence us.
The setting of Fahrenheit 451 takes place in the future were society seems to be controlled and distracted with technology. There’s a greater meaning behind this, authority control is too strong. Authority has been keeping their people ignorant and naive about the world. For example, there’s a huge war going on for years above their heads but nobody asks why because it’s not normal to take in notice issues like those. This reminded me so much of our society, because people are soo entertained but everything technology brings up that they forget we’re on the brink of yet another possible nuclear war similar to that of the situation in the book. Also new technologies in the book such as the “seashells” and “parlorwalls” have kept the people so disconnected from the real world.
This goes for our society too with similar technology like headphones and TVs which rid from socializing. For example, Montag’s wife and her friends are soo into their damn parlor walls they’ve just become soo ignorant to the world outside them and think the war will be resolved in a matter of no time, but they really just don’t care.
People in this society don’t even know what really happiness is, they all look well on the outside but they’re just miserable on the inside. Everyone has been just like Montag, (main character) “dead” and just living to live with no cause. However this changes as soon as he meets a strange girl named Clarisse. Clarisse shook Montag soo much his views on the world started opening and changing drastically.
Montag was a very dynamic character who started off being regular like everyone else and only wanting to serve authority, to becoming an intellectual “madman” who started asking why instead of just taking orders. A great example of Montag’s immense change was when Granger says, “welcome back from the dead”. Montag was dead the whole time until he met Clarisse who brought to his life clarity. After Montag wants to know more about their society and read the books to see if the answer to his problems are there, he starts to be on the chase of finding himself mentally but also literally because he’s on the run.
Furthermore, what this book really helps offer people in 2018 is that happiness grows from within, genuine happiness radiates and should be shared just as much as knowledge and curiosity should. If one wants change they should take action like Montag did, don’t stick to something just because everyone else does, go your own direction and find what your destiny is. At the end of the day you’re the boss of your future, the world is in your hands.
Bradbury’s literary forms of writing (some explained):
(Tone/Mood) Ray Bradbury’ tone is very depressing & makes the reader feel bad for the main character being Montag. It also shows a ray of the power of individuality, for example, how Clarisse became a light in Montag’s dark world.
(Symbolism) Bradbury had an excellent form of symbolism in his writing. For example, I loved how he used the Phoenix in the beginning , which is one of my favorite mythical creatures, to describe mankind in the book and sort of foreshadowing what was going to happen in the plot, because the Phoenix burns itself up before rising from the ashes just like Montag did. Rebirth and the start of something new.
(Synecdoche) Which is a small part of something that represents the whole. Bradbury shows us a great form of synecdoche when all throughout the book he uses Montag’s hands to symbolize the whole character. All throughout the book Montag’s hands have been at work, restless and alone. As he starts to see light at the end of the tunnel his hands become significant to the larger meaning behind the book which is that “the world is in your hands”.
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