As one analyses Ray Bradbury’s classic work, Fahrenheit 451, one can easily pinpoint several motifs alluding to censorship, government suppression, and other concepts. However, in evaluating the novel as a whole, these ideas tend to fade into background in comparison to Bradbury’s central message. In its entirety, Fahrenheit 451 stands as a commentary on the struggle between the feigned sense of intelligence, known as ignorance, and the active pursuit of substantive knowledge, known as scholarship. And, though the eyes of our main protagonist Montag, the reader can not only explore the nuances within both doctrines, but also consider the merits of both arguments. When taking the narrative in this light, one can start to derive a purpose for
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Specifically, Clarisse’s tendency to ask provocative questions regarding subjects considered taboo stands in stark contrast to the long-winded, circular ramblings of other characters more closely associated with the concept of ignorance. Case in point, in posing the question of "Do you ever read any of the books you bum?" to Montag, Clarisse breaks the unwritten rules of her society and thereby initiates Montag’s curiosity into what the books he burns might entail. Alternatively, characters like Captain Beatty engage in dialogue with the protagonist intending to shut down this sense of curiosity, repeatedly working back their arguments to the assertion that greater society can never achieve happiness unless no “mountains” exist for people to hide from, unless the term “intellectual” remains a curse word. In this way, characters similar to Beatty numb the interests of both Montag and the reader by dragging the narrative back to this seemingly infallible statement, as if such an assertion stands sufficient enough to answer any question Montag might have. When comparing these two instances, the clash between the ideals of ignorance and scholarship stand clear. Simply put, while the ignorant tend to have an answer for every question, scholars, like
Specifically, Clarisse’s tendency to ask provocative questions regarding subjects considered taboo stands in stark contrast to the long-winded, circular ramblings of other characters more closely associated with the concept of ignorance. Case in point, in posing the question of "Do you ever read any of the books you bum?" to Montag, Clarisse breaks the unwritten rules of her society and thereby initiates Montag’s curiosity into what the books he burns might entail. Alternatively, characters like Captain Beatty engage in dialogue with the protagonist intending to shut down this sense of curiosity, repeatedly working back their arguments to the assertion that greater society can never achieve happiness unless no “mountains” exist for people to hide from, unless the term “intellectual” remains a curse word. In this way, characters similar to Beatty numb the interests of both Montag and the reader by dragging the narrative back to this seemingly infallible statement, as if such an assertion stands sufficient enough to answer any question Montag might have. When comparing these two instances, the clash between the ideals of ignorance and scholarship stand clear. Simply put, while the ignorant tend to have an answer for every question, scholars, like