Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Does this book affect me?
I think that with technology becomming more prevalent, this book matters more than ever. Bradbury wrote this book in the 50s, when TV was just becomming popular-- now most people own at least one television.
Think about it- nowadays we have things like Cliffnotes and Sparknotes; students are taking more and more for granted each year. eBook readers like Kindles and Nooks are starting to replace hardback books.
This book foreshadowed what is happening presently really well. And I think that this book shows us that reading about what has happened in the past will help us in the future. Everything in history repeats itself, and you never know- books could all be gone some day, and we will need to have a way to recall the past.
Think about it- nowadays we have things like Cliffnotes and Sparknotes; students are taking more and more for granted each year. eBook readers like Kindles and Nooks are starting to replace hardback books.
This book foreshadowed what is happening presently really well. And I think that this book shows us that reading about what has happened in the past will help us in the future. Everything in history repeats itself, and you never know- books could all be gone some day, and we will need to have a way to recall the past.
Burn-O-Matic? lawlz.
So I found this comic strip online and found it amusing, haha. :)
Although we definitely need books for purposes other than instructions (I always try to get by without using manuals anyways), I think this is actually a pretty good example of why books are so important. I guess it shows that even with a technological presence growing in our society, we can't get by without books-- even if they are for the most trivial of things sometimes.
And in Fahrenheit 451, the firemen have a book on the history of their profession. ...Did anyone else find that part of the book to be ironic?
Thursday, May 12, 2011
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY THEMES IN THIS BOOK??
Okay, I went a little overboard with the title there, oops.
There are quite a few major arguments being made in this book, though. I feel like the more I think, the more I can come up with. Will there ever be an end, or am I reading into this book TOO much?
Let me narrow it down to a few:
-Societal rules control citizens to a point that they do what they are told without a second thought.
I think that this argument stands above the others in this book. Fahrenheit 451 continuously gives us examples of members of Guy Montag's society conforming to the rules set forth before them. Other themes present seem to stem from this one.
-Censorship distorts peoples' thoughts and perspectives.
This is easily the most prominent argument. Most books are banned from Montag's immediate world, and even the so-called "firemen" are not told the truth about their origin. The members of Montag's society are seemingly-free (at least, to them), but it is evident that the government controls everything behind-the-scenes and provides everyone with a false sense of happiness.
-Independent Thought
...is scarce in this society. The free-thinkers are shunned, and forced to live outside of the community. Even from the beginning of the novel, we see Montag's reaction to this strange girl, Clarisse, who, unlike the other people Montag talks to, seems to think for herself. Instead of independent thought, we see characters like Mildred, who is quick to want what society tells her is the "latest and greatest".
Let me narrow it down to a few:
-Societal rules control citizens to a point that they do what they are told without a second thought.
I think that this argument stands above the others in this book. Fahrenheit 451 continuously gives us examples of members of Guy Montag's society conforming to the rules set forth before them. Other themes present seem to stem from this one.
-Censorship distorts peoples' thoughts and perspectives.
This is easily the most prominent argument. Most books are banned from Montag's immediate world, and even the so-called "firemen" are not told the truth about their origin. The members of Montag's society are seemingly-free (at least, to them), but it is evident that the government controls everything behind-the-scenes and provides everyone with a false sense of happiness.
-Independent Thought
...is scarce in this society. The free-thinkers are shunned, and forced to live outside of the community. Even from the beginning of the novel, we see Montag's reaction to this strange girl, Clarisse, who, unlike the other people Montag talks to, seems to think for herself. Instead of independent thought, we see characters like Mildred, who is quick to want what society tells her is the "latest and greatest".
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
All-nighter... surprise, surprise?
Pulling an all-nighter finishing Fahrenheit 451 tonight....how would I live without Starbucks? :)What does it mean? Part 2
Here 'goes for a second try at the meaning of this book.
I kind of of took my first post about the temperature books catch fire at, and applied it to this whole deeper-meaning thing.
Are you ready for this?
OK:
Bradbury tells us that books burn at 451 degrees fahrenheit, but I also think that this is symbolic (oh, symbolism...it's everywhere) of the knowledge of society being "burned away", along with peoples' common sense.
I kind of of took my first post about the temperature books catch fire at, and applied it to this whole deeper-meaning thing.
Are you ready for this?
OK:
Bradbury tells us that books burn at 451 degrees fahrenheit, but I also think that this is symbolic (oh, symbolism...it's everywhere) of the knowledge of society being "burned away", along with peoples' common sense.
Fahrenheit 451: What does it mean?
So we started reading Fahrenheit 451, and, I'll admit, it's a million times better than I thought it was going to be. Why can't all required reading be this good? (No offense, Silas Marner...). I guess I created this blog so that I'd be able to jot down some of my thoughts (I have so many to keep track of, after all).
Er, so, let's start with the basics? ...What does this book "mean", anyways?
When I first thought about the answer to this question, it was very literal. Fahrenheit 451, as stated in the book, is the degree at which paper books catch fire (not gonna lie, I kind of want to test this out). However, I felt like this didn't adequately answer the question.
Er, so, let's start with the basics? ...What does this book "mean", anyways?
When I first thought about the answer to this question, it was very literal. Fahrenheit 451, as stated in the book, is the degree at which paper books catch fire (not gonna lie, I kind of want to test this out). However, I felt like this didn't adequately answer the question.
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