Ray Bradbury was an important dystopian novelist for the modern world. He wrote based on the American people’s reactions to the social changes in global society after World War II. Throughout his pieces, Bradbury incorporates the anxiety felt in the United States through the Red Scare, a fear of the spread of communism to the western world. Americans believed that Communism would lead to the spread of mass propaganda and the oppression of thought. These are major topics in Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451. Through the dynamic development of his protagonist, Guy Montag, Bradbury illustrates in Fahrenheit 451 how and why freedom of thought is easily oppressed. Guy Montag’s experiences throughout the book are an important allegory for understanding
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However, he is actually contributes to the growth of Montag’s thoughts throughout the novel. Beatty’s objective is to convince Montag that books are the cause of evil in the world, because they cause judgment and inequality. He claims that “everyone [should be] made equal, each man the image of every other, [so that] all are happy” (Bradbury 56). The goal of a dystopian society such as one found in Fahrenheit 451 is to keep human thoughts at bay in order to achieve this societal equilibrium. If everyone has the same thoughts, then no one will question anything, which would ideally lead to a peaceful society. However, in practice, this is an example of the oppression of thought, because without freedom of expression, there is no individuality. As a result, society never has a chance to progress because no one is allowed to introduce new ideas. In Bradbury’s lifetime, this was clearly evident during the Cold War in the Soviet Union. Their citizens were forbidden from disclosing their opinions, and the government controlled what they read and heard. Like Captain Beatty, the Soviet regime believed that those who could read whatever they pleased were dangerous. He asserts that intellectuals think they are above the law and think they “can walk on water with [their] books” (Bradbury 108). This kind of civilization that is portrayed in Bradbury’s novel apparently is trying to protect their citizens from uncensored literature, which are “notorious for their slippery and contradictory ideas” (Eller 3). In reality, they are protecting their people from thoughts that do not agree with their own. A dictator’s purpose for this is to remain in power for as long as they can. If people are only aware of his thoughts, then they will not rebel against him. This allows him to increase control and expand his influence without any obstacles. However, even though this
However, he is actually contributes to the growth of Montag’s thoughts throughout the novel. Beatty’s objective is to convince Montag that books are the cause of evil in the world, because they cause judgment and inequality. He claims that “everyone [should be] made equal, each man the image of every other, [so that] all are happy” (Bradbury 56). The goal of a dystopian society such as one found in Fahrenheit 451 is to keep human thoughts at bay in order to achieve this societal equilibrium. If everyone has the same thoughts, then no one will question anything, which would ideally lead to a peaceful society. However, in practice, this is an example of the oppression of thought, because without freedom of expression, there is no individuality. As a result, society never has a chance to progress because no one is allowed to introduce new ideas. In Bradbury’s lifetime, this was clearly evident during the Cold War in the Soviet Union. Their citizens were forbidden from disclosing their opinions, and the government controlled what they read and heard. Like Captain Beatty, the Soviet regime believed that those who could read whatever they pleased were dangerous. He asserts that intellectuals think they are above the law and think they “can walk on water with [their] books” (Bradbury 108). This kind of civilization that is portrayed in Bradbury’s novel apparently is trying to protect their citizens from uncensored literature, which are “notorious for their slippery and contradictory ideas” (Eller 3). In reality, they are protecting their people from thoughts that do not agree with their own. A dictator’s purpose for this is to remain in power for as long as they can. If people are only aware of his thoughts, then they will not rebel against him. This allows him to increase control and expand his influence without any obstacles. However, even though this