Fahrenheit 451 Conformity Analysis

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The Heated Clash of Conformity and Individuality in Fahrenheit 451 In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the clash between the societal pressure to conform and the protagonist’s pursuit of individuality is a motif that pervades the entirety of the novel. This ideological collision is formed as Montag, a character who begins to become increasingly dissatisfied with his life in the novel’s corrupted society, and begins to wrestle with tradition. This conflict leads him through a frenzy of events which begins with his interest in books, a form of contraband in his culture has banned for its tendency to cause inquiry and contradiction. Nearing the end of the novel, he is forced to face the consequences of standing out from society and has to forge his own path through chaotic …show more content…
This unprejudiced and free spirit fascinates him and slowly begins to reveals things about himself that he didn’t even know. For example, Clarisse’s candid observation reveal that “he was not happy [...] and wore his happiness like a mask” (Bradbury 5). She forces Montag to realize and acknowledge the inner discontent he feels. His work as a fireman consumes a majority of his focus and when he is back at home, he must endure a hollow and passionless marriage. He has no one to turn to and longs for the human connection that he even lacks with his wife. This revelation reflects a problem that many people face in the modern era. Much like our protagonist, people today struggle to find their identity while in a seemingly futile struggle to find a connection in a society so obsessed over technology and social media. In his essay Fahrenheit 451 Revisited, Paul Trout accurately points out that the novel’s “world is dedicated to thrills, titillation, spectacle, crudity, empty comedy, and useless facts” (Trout). Montag’s society is one centered around cheap thrills and shallow interaction through electronic black mirrors. Similar to how our society is so obsessed over social media
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