In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury shows us what happens in a society where literature is
prohibited, causing some individuals to ask why things are the way they are, rather than settling.
These individuals are frowned upon because they question. In this dystopian society, questions
lead to revelations, which are considered a major issue. In Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist Guy
Montag started off as the individual who was comfortable with the rules of society, especially
because he was the one who did the damage by setting houses on fire. He describes it as “a
pleasure to burn.” (Bradbury 1). His boss, Beatty describes books as “a loaded gun in the house
next door,” therefore it must be burned. (Bradbury 56). Later on the novel, he came to a realization that if he continues to burn there will be nothing left. Montag reads a piece of poetry from a book Dover Beach to two of his wife's friends. The reaction was something distant but truthfully revealing. As one friend confusingly cries, another says, “I’ve always said, poetry and tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feeling, poetry and sickness” (Bradbury 97). Poetry is the gateway to unhappiness, suicide, tears and most importantly feelings. This response displays that some aspects of literature do not resonate with some individuals. In this case words are not only weapons, but they are the holy grail to human emotion, something that this society lacks. In relation to Bradbury’s message that censorship causes one to be unenlightened and conform to the rules of society, one may argue that “fire is bright and fire is clean.” Shielding an individual causes them to consume ignorance and later extending that lack of knowledge. Burning books “cleans” but offers nothing in return. Censorship strips an individual’s self awareness and their ability to think. Both Ray Bradbury and Tim O’Brien strongly believe that censorship emphasises the idea of conformity. In The Things They Carried, the protagonist Jimmy Cross is drafted into a war he hates because he believes that it’s morally incorrect to send fresh bodies off to war inexperienced. He admits that he is “politically naive” as he points out that the American war in Vietnam was wrong and he wanted nothing more than to not be apart of it. However, the guilt of him not going to war had a greater hold over his own judgement of war. Cross says, “my conscience told me to run, but some irrational and powerful force was resisting, like a weight pushing me to war.” (O’Brien 49). The truth is that he was deeply afraid of having to walk away from the life that he was so accustomed to only to then function in another world where he had no regard for what it takes to survive. Most of all he feared imagining his small town ridiculing him and that embarrassment is what motivated his actions. He would rather kill than be killed by being perceived as the “mockery” of his town. He finds himself being conflicted and drowning in his thoughts asking, “what would you do?” ( O’Brien 54). Then questions, “would you feel pity for …show more content…
In connection
to the role that censorship plays, it affects the way we express our thoughts. Beatty explains to
Montag that “you always dread the unfamiliar.” (Bradbury 55). We fear the amount of greatness
that our minds can hold, therefore we hardly ever dare to challenge those very thoughts which
makes us all alike in one way or another.
In The Catcher In The Rye written by J.D Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield
attempts to leave home and soon struggles with transitioning from childhood and adulthood
phases. When Holden finds his way back home, he misinterprets a line from a poem, “Comin
Thro The Rye.” His interpretation was to catch the kids from “falling” using his brother, Allie's
baseball glove. Holden explains to his sister Phoebe that he’d, “Just be the catcher in the rye,”
going on to say that he’d be “the only big kid there.” (Salinger 119). Holden Caulfield describing
himself as the “big kid” conveys to us that despite all that he has experience, he still views
himself as a child who is pure along with the younger kids in a field of rye. The only way
prohibited, causing some individuals to ask why things are the way they are, rather than settling.
These individuals are frowned upon because they question. In this dystopian society, questions
lead to revelations, which are considered a major issue. In Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist Guy
Montag started off as the individual who was comfortable with the rules of society, especially
because he was the one who did the damage by setting houses on fire. He describes it as “a
pleasure to burn.” (Bradbury 1). His boss, Beatty describes books as “a loaded gun in the house
next door,” therefore it must be burned. (Bradbury 56). Later on the novel, he came to a realization that if he continues to burn there will be nothing left. Montag reads a piece of poetry from a book Dover Beach to two of his wife's friends. The reaction was something distant but truthfully revealing. As one friend confusingly cries, another says, “I’ve always said, poetry and tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feeling, poetry and sickness” (Bradbury 97). Poetry is the gateway to unhappiness, suicide, tears and most importantly feelings. This response displays that some aspects of literature do not resonate with some individuals. In this case words are not only weapons, but they are the holy grail to human emotion, something that this society lacks. In relation to Bradbury’s message that censorship causes one to be unenlightened and conform to the rules of society, one may argue that “fire is bright and fire is clean.” Shielding an individual causes them to consume ignorance and later extending that lack of knowledge. Burning books “cleans” but offers nothing in return. Censorship strips an individual’s self awareness and their ability to think. Both Ray Bradbury and Tim O’Brien strongly believe that censorship emphasises the idea of conformity. In The Things They Carried, the protagonist Jimmy Cross is drafted into a war he hates because he believes that it’s morally incorrect to send fresh bodies off to war inexperienced. He admits that he is “politically naive” as he points out that the American war in Vietnam was wrong and he wanted nothing more than to not be apart of it. However, the guilt of him not going to war had a greater hold over his own judgement of war. Cross says, “my conscience told me to run, but some irrational and powerful force was resisting, like a weight pushing me to war.” (O’Brien 49). The truth is that he was deeply afraid of having to walk away from the life that he was so accustomed to only to then function in another world where he had no regard for what it takes to survive. Most of all he feared imagining his small town ridiculing him and that embarrassment is what motivated his actions. He would rather kill than be killed by being perceived as the “mockery” of his town. He finds himself being conflicted and drowning in his thoughts asking, “what would you do?” ( O’Brien 54). Then questions, “would you feel pity for …show more content…
In connection
to the role that censorship plays, it affects the way we express our thoughts. Beatty explains to
Montag that “you always dread the unfamiliar.” (Bradbury 55). We fear the amount of greatness
that our minds can hold, therefore we hardly ever dare to challenge those very thoughts which
makes us all alike in one way or another.
In The Catcher In The Rye written by J.D Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield
attempts to leave home and soon struggles with transitioning from childhood and adulthood
phases. When Holden finds his way back home, he misinterprets a line from a poem, “Comin
Thro The Rye.” His interpretation was to catch the kids from “falling” using his brother, Allie's
baseball glove. Holden explains to his sister Phoebe that he’d, “Just be the catcher in the rye,”
going on to say that he’d be “the only big kid there.” (Salinger 119). Holden Caulfield describing
himself as the “big kid” conveys to us that despite all that he has experience, he still views
himself as a child who is pure along with the younger kids in a field of rye. The only way