For most people, reading is an essential part of daily life that is often taken for granted. The wealth of knowledge that is available through books can be easily accessed if an individual possesses the capability to read. Ray Bradbury's classic dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, demonstrates what happens when such access to books is cut off. Similarly, the memoir of famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass shows that it is even possible to restrict an individual's ability to read, and therefore limit the means one has of acquiring knowledge. Although several centuries separate the settings of these two works, their similar messages about the human condition manage to transcend time. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Ray Bradbury’s
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For instance, Douglass enlisted the help of the local boys to teach him how to read by stealing bread from his master’s house and giving it to them in exchange for “that more valuable bread of knowledge” (Douglass 44). The punishment for stealing food would have been severe, yet Frederick Douglass risked what meager freedoms he had to ensure that he learned how to read. Clearly, the ability to read and write was valuable enough to him that he would go to such great lengths to achieve it, even with the threat of unpleasant ramifications looming over him. Though Douglass was never caught, Guy Montag was not as fortunate. His wife alerts the authorities that he has concealed books in their home, and in a cruel twist of irony Montag is forced to burn his own house to the ground. Montag pays the price for his curiosity as he watches the house fall “in red coals and black ash...with the flame thrower in his limp hands” (Bradbury 111). Guy Montag’s intentness on acquiring and understanding books ultimately leads to the destruction of his home, and while those consequences are not what Frederick Douglass would have faced, it is undeniable that both of these men risked much of their livelihood in order to pursue knowledge. Their motivation to learn in spite of countless obstacles is truly representative of the human
For instance, Douglass enlisted the help of the local boys to teach him how to read by stealing bread from his master’s house and giving it to them in exchange for “that more valuable bread of knowledge” (Douglass 44). The punishment for stealing food would have been severe, yet Frederick Douglass risked what meager freedoms he had to ensure that he learned how to read. Clearly, the ability to read and write was valuable enough to him that he would go to such great lengths to achieve it, even with the threat of unpleasant ramifications looming over him. Though Douglass was never caught, Guy Montag was not as fortunate. His wife alerts the authorities that he has concealed books in their home, and in a cruel twist of irony Montag is forced to burn his own house to the ground. Montag pays the price for his curiosity as he watches the house fall “in red coals and black ash...with the flame thrower in his limp hands” (Bradbury 111). Guy Montag’s intentness on acquiring and understanding books ultimately leads to the destruction of his home, and while those consequences are not what Frederick Douglass would have faced, it is undeniable that both of these men risked much of their livelihood in order to pursue knowledge. Their motivation to learn in spite of countless obstacles is truly representative of the human