Both envision dystopian worlds. Both take place in the future. Both revolve around an ordinary man in his thirties with a common name who has a crucial role within his oppressive government and realizes the flaws of his society. Both men desperately seek knowledge and truth. Both men want to enlighten the ignorant members of his society. Fahrenheit 451, which tells the story of a firefighter named Guy Montag, and 1984, which tells the story of a government employee who purposefully falsifies official documents named Winston Smith, both tell a similar story: the story of an individual’s internal struggle with the defects he perceives in his own society and his attempt to overcome these perceived defects. With such similar plots, these two classic
…show more content…
First, both novels take place in countries with oppressive, authoritarian governments. These governments strictly censor the information their residents consume and impose mind-control on their citizens, particularly with technology. For example, the Party in 1984 utilizes “telescreens” which constantly monitor citizens and simultaneously spew propaganda, while the government in Fahrenheit 451 distracts its citizens by encouraging them to watch flashy, mind-numbing programs on enormous television screens, effectively controlling their ability and desire to think independently. Because of the controlling nature of the governments and the subsequent fear the governments impose on their citizens, the members of both societies lack individuality and independence. This results in hollow humans who lack close personal relationships and never engage in meaningful conversations. Another parallel between the world of 1984 and the world of Fahrenheit 451 is the prevalence of contradictions in each society. For example, in Fahrenheit 451, the firefighters actually start fires, and the names of the four Ministries in 1984 directly contradict their true purpose; the Ministry of Truth falsifies documents, the Ministry of Plenty causes poverty and starvation, the Ministry of Love inflicts torture, and the Ministry of Peace controls war. In many regards, the aspects of the society in which Winston Smith lives resemble the characteristics of the world in which Guy Montag
First, both novels take place in countries with oppressive, authoritarian governments. These governments strictly censor the information their residents consume and impose mind-control on their citizens, particularly with technology. For example, the Party in 1984 utilizes “telescreens” which constantly monitor citizens and simultaneously spew propaganda, while the government in Fahrenheit 451 distracts its citizens by encouraging them to watch flashy, mind-numbing programs on enormous television screens, effectively controlling their ability and desire to think independently. Because of the controlling nature of the governments and the subsequent fear the governments impose on their citizens, the members of both societies lack individuality and independence. This results in hollow humans who lack close personal relationships and never engage in meaningful conversations. Another parallel between the world of 1984 and the world of Fahrenheit 451 is the prevalence of contradictions in each society. For example, in Fahrenheit 451, the firefighters actually start fires, and the names of the four Ministries in 1984 directly contradict their true purpose; the Ministry of Truth falsifies documents, the Ministry of Plenty causes poverty and starvation, the Ministry of Love inflicts torture, and the Ministry of Peace controls war. In many regards, the aspects of the society in which Winston Smith lives resemble the characteristics of the world in which Guy Montag