For a few years, I have seen the classic Fahrenheit 451 on book lists, and heard about it from teachers and friends. Recently, I got a chance to read it myself. I had already heard some basic things about the story. I knew that it was about a fireman in a dystopian world where the job of firemen is to burn books, but I did not know much more than that. When I read the book, there were some interesting details in it that surprised me.
I think that in dystopian books, it is often the case that there is one evil person or government official behind whatever it is that is wrong with the world. The people are often unhappy and know that it is bad, but are too scared to do anything to fix it. However, in Fahrenheit 451, it is not like that. It was the people that started hating books and the government supported them, instead of being the one forcing change. At the beginning of the book, the protagonist, Guy Montag, meets his new neighbor, a girl named Clarisse who introduces him to a new way of thinking. Clarisse believes in the importance of things like discussing topics like happiness, looking at nature and the world, and exploring. These are things that no one has time for in the world Guy Montag lives in, but he likes Clarisse and becomes interested in the things she says and in the books she believes in. This leads to the action Guy Montag takes later in the story.
As inventions and activities started getting faster and faster, people no longer wanted to take the time to read a book, discuss things, or spend time in nature. They preferred to watch shows instead because it was easier and required less effort to enjoy. As people became less and less interested in books, the government made owning books illegal, which resulted in firemen like Guy Montag burning the books and houses of people that owned books. I think that this message of forgetting books because of doing things with increased speed is relevant to today because technology is getting better, allowing us to do things faster and people often do not take the time to do things slowly. It is important that we continue to read anyway.
Another thing that I found interesting, was that the captain of the firemen, captain Beatty and a few other firemen had also read books before. Captain Beatty himself was curious about books at one point and read them. He even quotes books at points throughout the book. I thought this was interesting because it shows that books made a huge impact on people. Although he thought that books were useless, Captain Beatty did not just forget all the books he ever read. He remembers what the books say and he even quotes them to prove his points, including the point that books are bad. The books make an impact on Guy Montag too. In just a short while, he becomes so involved with books and knowledge that he is willing to take drastic measures to protect books.
Fahrenheit 451 shows that books are important and influential and should not be forgotten. The book itself, is no exception. I would recommend this book if you are interested in reading a classic or a Dystopian book.
-Maya V.
I think you did a great job describing this book. I've never read this book, and you did a great job of showing your view point without spoiling anything. I like how you talked about what was interesting to you. I also liked how you applied this book's message to today's world.
ReplyDeleteGreat job connecting this classic dystopian novel to multiple characteristics of the time we live in! It's interesting how you could draw parallels between this extreme world and the current one. I think it was also interesting that this article was more informative about the book than it was critical. It was interesting to have more of a focus on the foreboding nature of the book than someone else's personal take on it.
ReplyDeleteI also read this book, and I definitely agree! It was a compelling piece that definitely changed my view on the importance of books. I would also recommend this book for sure!
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot about this book too, but I didn't know that much. I like that you specify what makes it different from most dystopian books. I especially like that you didn't spoil what happens in the book, but you still gave enough information to get a feel for the book. Fahrenheit 451 is definitely on my list of books to read now.
ReplyDeleteI've read this book and I think that this book is a perfect beginners novel into the dystopian genre. I think that this book is a bit mild compared to some others but has just as much impact. This summary of the book is concise and gives enough information to reveal the plot and the feel, but not too much that the story is ruined. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI have read this book too. It was actually the book that I chose for the banned book project last year in subbie English. I found this book a very insightful read, and I think that it can definitely be applied to real life as other people have said. It shows the true power of books and the lengths that people will go to get what they want. I think that this was a good overview of the book and its insights that didn't give too much away.
ReplyDeleteGreat job describing the concept of how the masses instigated the dystopian society in Fahrenheit 451 - I read this book over the summer and found it a disturbing, thought-provoking discussion about the importance of books and the information they convey. I agree that the modern world has become increasingly fast-paced due to technology, making this book and its core ideas greatly relevant to our present-day society.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading this book right now. I like how you described the plot of the novel and I'm really curious to see how the novel is going to play out as I read it.
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