Fahrenheit 451 Rebellion

Words: 1281
Pages: 6

The Importance of Solidarity and Rebellion in a Censored Society
Censorship is used to limit the power of knowledge from individuals, and in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, isolation, and distrust are caused by the firemen’s demand for power; consequently, people must rebel by unifying and risking arrest. Technology is a form of censorship used by the firemen. It prevents solidarity which allows the firemen to continue the cycle of censorship. This causes distrust and between the people. Montag abandons his original job, and joins Clarisse in her beliefs of knowledge. This leads Montag to the Book People who let Montag see the importance of solidarity in a censored Community.
(TS) Throughout the novel, the firemen prevent the exchange of
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(PS) Montag craves knowledge and wants the right to be able to think without being forced to conform to the firemen’s beliefs. (SS) Montag explains to Faber, “Nobody listens any more… And I want you to teach me to understand what I read… We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing… So I thought books might help” (Bradbury 78). (SS) Montag desires for the knowledge that the books contain; unfortunately, because of the unrelenting surveillance from the firemen and the hound, Montag is unable to appease his desire for books. (SS) In an exchange between Montag and the Hound, the narrator reveals, “Montag touched the muzzle. The Hound growled… It growled again… A turning of cogs that seemed rusty and ancient with suspicion…The growl simmered in the beast and it looked at him” (Bradbury 23). (SS) The hound serves as a watchdog for the firemen and it senses books and hunts down criminals; thus, it becomes aware of Montag’s freethinking and rebellion toward the firemen. (PS) Furthermore, Clarisse does not conform to the standards that the school establishes as acceptable; therefore, she suffers the consequences of being different. (SS) She says, “Oh, they don’t …show more content…
(PS) The Book People show the importance of rebellion by uniting and saving books in an effort to pass it on to future generations. (SS) They say to Montag, “All we want to do is keep the knowledge we think we will need, intact and safe… For if we are destroyed, the knowledge is dead” (Bradbury 145) (SS) By cherishing knowledge, the Book People keep the spirit of freethinking alive and prevent the cycle of censorship from continuing. (145). (PS) Montag, a fireman given the job of burning books, rebels against the other firemen. (SS) His job is to protect the people by censoring knowledge, having fun, and limiting free thinking. (SS) Beatty undoubtedly explains, “We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought… I don’t think you realize how important you are, we are, to our important world as it stands now” (Bradbury 59). (SS) However, The Book People show Montag the need for rebellion in their censored society; unfortunately, he must face a harsh reality: it is difficult to start a rebellion when people accept the belief that the lack of knowledge is beneficial to them. (SS) Granger says, “You can’t make people listen. They have to come round in their