Fahrenheit 451 presents bleak future
By Basia Łapa
Posted Feb. 20, 2015
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a classic example of dystopia - a dark vision of a world formed on the basis of present fears. The author described a culture in which people stopped reading books and learning from the knowledge contained within them.
The title is important because it is the temperature at which paper burns. The main character, Guy Montag, is a firefighter. His job is to burn books and the houses they are in, and for him it was pleasure to burn. It is strange that the firemen set things on fire, rather than prevent them. They come to someone’s house after a call from an informer and burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness.
One evening he unexpectedly met the neighbour girl, Clarisse, and Montag had an unsettling conversation with her. She talked about the world in a point of view he never thought of. At the end, Clarisse asks him if he is happy and that is when Montag realized he is not. He realized people are sunk into chimerical happiness. They just want to be entertained without any effort.
Bradbury’s book, written nearly fifty years ago, relates to us now. We are constantly "plugged in" and never take any time to just sit and think. His story is coming true. People are starting to cease reading books because watching film is easier. The same same is true with thinking, learning, and speaking: They all require effort to make us better people. If popular culture is constantly valued above thoughtful consideration and education, we'll march right into a land of burning books and intellectualism on the run. So just stop for a minute and ask yourself - will you make an effort to make significant change in your life or will you just let yourself become inane as characters in book?
I think the book deserve 4 out of 5 stars. It is worth a read because it extends our view about what is happening to human beings and it provides food for thought.
Posted Feb. 20, 2015
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a classic example of dystopia - a dark vision of a world formed on the basis of present fears. The author described a culture in which people stopped reading books and learning from the knowledge contained within them.
The title is important because it is the temperature at which paper burns. The main character, Guy Montag, is a firefighter. His job is to burn books and the houses they are in, and for him it was pleasure to burn. It is strange that the firemen set things on fire, rather than prevent them. They come to someone’s house after a call from an informer and burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness.
One evening he unexpectedly met the neighbour girl, Clarisse, and Montag had an unsettling conversation with her. She talked about the world in a point of view he never thought of. At the end, Clarisse asks him if he is happy and that is when Montag realized he is not. He realized people are sunk into chimerical happiness. They just want to be entertained without any effort.
Bradbury’s book, written nearly fifty years ago, relates to us now. We are constantly "plugged in" and never take any time to just sit and think. His story is coming true. People are starting to cease reading books because watching film is easier. The same same is true with thinking, learning, and speaking: They all require effort to make us better people. If popular culture is constantly valued above thoughtful consideration and education, we'll march right into a land of burning books and intellectualism on the run. So just stop for a minute and ask yourself - will you make an effort to make significant change in your life or will you just let yourself become inane as characters in book?
I think the book deserve 4 out of 5 stars. It is worth a read because it extends our view about what is happening to human beings and it provides food for thought.