President John F. Kennedy once said “conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” The concept of conformity and individuality is clearly illustrated in the novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. Like most dystopian societies, Fahrenheit 451 contains a damaged society in which the people watch excessive amounts of television on wall size sets, listen to music on seashell radio sets, and drive extremely fast, not afraid to hit animals or people. The masses never think independently nor do they have meaningful connections with anyone. Books are burned by firemen in this dystopia, for they are believed to contain abstract concepts that are irrelevant. In this world, everyone practices conformity and anyone who stands apart from
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Early in the book, he recognizes his unhappiness when he meets Clarisse, a young girl who is curious, innocent, and full of life. Unlike the masses, she is not consumed by the technology present in their society. Clarisse’s abstract ideas cause Montag to shift his perspective on life and allow him to grow into an individual with his own thoughts who is able to build meaningful relationships with other characters. In general, conformity, depicted by the masses, and individuality, depicted by the rebels, are crucial factors in both Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. Conformity, playing a large role in the society of Fahrenheit 451, constantly affects Guy Montag in his struggle to find himself and become an individual. The people of the society live the same mundane lives every single day, the men typically go off to work while the women watch television all day. Those who do anything different are considered rebels against the government and are viewed as such. Conformity is best represented by Mildred, Montag’s wife, and her friends in part two of Fahrenheit 451. They gather together to watch the television walls, which frustrates Montag because they all act
Early in the book, he recognizes his unhappiness when he meets Clarisse, a young girl who is curious, innocent, and full of life. Unlike the masses, she is not consumed by the technology present in their society. Clarisse’s abstract ideas cause Montag to shift his perspective on life and allow him to grow into an individual with his own thoughts who is able to build meaningful relationships with other characters. In general, conformity, depicted by the masses, and individuality, depicted by the rebels, are crucial factors in both Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. Conformity, playing a large role in the society of Fahrenheit 451, constantly affects Guy Montag in his struggle to find himself and become an individual. The people of the society live the same mundane lives every single day, the men typically go off to work while the women watch television all day. Those who do anything different are considered rebels against the government and are viewed as such. Conformity is best represented by Mildred, Montag’s wife, and her friends in part two of Fahrenheit 451. They gather together to watch the television walls, which frustrates Montag because they all act