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". 

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