Fahrenheit 451, is a novel by Ray Bradbury, which is a dystopian novel that talks about the dangers of communism with censorship and the suppression of knowledge. The story takes place in a future world where books are burned and the firemen are tasked with removing any books that are found. This book follows Guy Motang on his journey though breaking the normaities of society discovering the importance of individual thought. Montag meets Clarisse, his neighbor and a young girl who believes in free thought, she tells him to think differently and opens his eyes to the importance of books. He starts to steal and hide books. Eventually, Montang becomes involved with a group of rebels who memorize books to keep their contents and share them with future generations. The government in Fahrenheit 451 looks for control for its citizens by limiting their access to information, thereby restricting their ability to think critically and question authority. The government fears this thought so they remove any factors that oppose their ideals. Which creates a society that is not creative and individual. When I read the book, I was also overwhelmed by the language and metaphors. It also gives more impact in the idea that conformity is a dangerous force. It reminds me of stories my mother tells me about her move to Japan when she moved to America. She followed thousands of people following standards and not being happy with the life that they had while conforming the Japan’s strict cultures. When she soon moved to America to break away from Japan, she was met with many hardships. But soon she ended up successful. This may reflect this book where happiness is scarce. When Montang rebels against the normalities he was somewhat successful in what he did. He learned new ideas and had an overall impactful life. For future readers, just take your time to breathe and understand what the author is presenting. In summary, Fahrenheit 451 is a warning to the dangers of communism and censorship and the suppression of knowledge. It shows the importance of thoughts and the ability to question the normalities created by authorities. It makes us think about what information is ok for people to spread. What is true and false and makes us think about what the boundaries are for freedom of speech that is acceptable.
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