Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Essay Example
Burn After Reading
Daniel Pomper
Period 6
5/8
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a modern day allegory for censorship of the media shown through the prohibition of books in the novel, and the restriction of Internet use in China and North Korea. In modern times, the Internet is a huge source of information. Over one third of the population of the world uses the Internet and that number is growing rapidly. Books are another widely used source of information with over 129 million books printed per year. Owning books in Fahrenheit 451 is punished by imprisonment or death via the Mechanical Hound as well as the books being burned by the firemen. In China and Korea speaking out against the government through the Internet could result in death or imprisonment. Restricting these major medias, books in the case of Fahrenheit 451, and the Internet in China and North Korea, leads to a lack of knowledge and social and political awareness. In Fahrenheit 451, the society is very naïve and ignorant. The people do not question anything. They just do what the government tells them to do and keep themselves occupied with mindless television. They never really examine or question the world around them. They never stop to notice details around them or speak to the people in their family other than superficially. Mildred is a prime example of this: “Mildred watched the toast be delivered to her plate. She had both ears plugged with the electronic bees that were humming the hour away. She looked up suddenly and saw him, and nodded…She was an expert at lip reading from the ten years of apprenticeship at Seashell ear thimbles” (Bradbury 18). The people in Fahrenheit 451’s society avoid thinking about important things. Instead they revert to distractions like watching television. Sergeant Beatty voices his opinion on how society avoids thinking about anything more than everyday things and the ignorance of society when he is speaking to Montag: “If you don't want a man unhappy
Daniel Pomper
Period 6
5/8
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a modern day allegory for censorship of the media shown through the prohibition of books in the novel, and the restriction of Internet use in China and North Korea. In modern times, the Internet is a huge source of information. Over one third of the population of the world uses the Internet and that number is growing rapidly. Books are another widely used source of information with over 129 million books printed per year. Owning books in Fahrenheit 451 is punished by imprisonment or death via the Mechanical Hound as well as the books being burned by the firemen. In China and Korea speaking out against the government through the Internet could result in death or imprisonment. Restricting these major medias, books in the case of Fahrenheit 451, and the Internet in China and North Korea, leads to a lack of knowledge and social and political awareness. In Fahrenheit 451, the society is very naïve and ignorant. The people do not question anything. They just do what the government tells them to do and keep themselves occupied with mindless television. They never really examine or question the world around them. They never stop to notice details around them or speak to the people in their family other than superficially. Mildred is a prime example of this: “Mildred watched the toast be delivered to her plate. She had both ears plugged with the electronic bees that were humming the hour away. She looked up suddenly and saw him, and nodded…She was an expert at lip reading from the ten years of apprenticeship at Seashell ear thimbles” (Bradbury 18). The people in Fahrenheit 451’s society avoid thinking about important things. Instead they revert to distractions like watching television. Sergeant Beatty voices his opinion on how society avoids thinking about anything more than everyday things and the ignorance of society when he is speaking to Montag: “If you don't want a man unhappy