So far in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the evolution of the main character Guy Montag piques my interest. I like his change in conscience and his questioning of his current surroundings and society. One major aspect in the story that I would like to analyze is the idea of conformity and/or governmental control. “Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally ‘bright,’ did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn’t it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man? Me? I won’t stomach them for a minute.” (Bradbury 55-56) This quote is perfect to focus on the conformity aspect of F451, and how Bradbury views a dystopian future where everyone is “created equal” and required to conform to the norms that the government has placed on society.
While the story and message along with it are captivating, I feel like the writing style goes against the first rule that my English teachers throughout the years have told me to follow: “Show don’t tell.” Bradbury desires to show an important message through the story of Guy Montag, but I often found his diction to be telling me what was happening in the story rather than showing me through dialogue and imagery what was going on in the story.
Hello Subash. I found your piece on Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 very interesting, as I had read the book myself. I agree that the perspective of Guy Montag being the odd one out and rejecting the conformist view of the world he lives in is very interesting, and is scarily relatable in the world we live in today. It is very scary to think that we may be influenced to all just clump and become “sheeple”, as your picture describes. What is more interesting is that this book was written far before any of these conformity issues really sprang up, so in a way Mr. Bradbury sort of predicted the future, which is even creepier to think of. Enjoy your reading!
Thank you for sharing, Subash!! It’s interesting that you see Bradbury’s writing is telling vs. showing. What specifically is he telling? How else could he present the narrative?
Subash, I think that this will make for a really strong topic for your research paper. In this book, Bradbury does use very in depth symbolism and portrays a deeper meaning with his book. I think there is so much to dig into throughout this book and there are so many levels of symbolism through this book. The examples of symbolism in this book are extensive and have many layers to them. Good luck with your analysis!