Theme Of Happiness In Fahrenheit 451 - 1889 Words

Throughout history, authors, psychologists, philosophers, and everyone in between have asked themselves the question, what does true happiness consist of? Is ignorance bliss, or do knowledge and learning provide true happiness? Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451 asks, and answers this exact question. Within the novel, authorities in society have decided that ignorance is the best solution to inequality and unhappiness. In this futuristic, dystopian world, firemen start fires instead of putting them out. Specifically, they burn books, which are illegal due to their encouragement of individuality, which is seen as a representation of power that opposes the government. Fahrenheit 451 follows Guy Montag, who works as one of these notorious†¦show more content†¦He recognized this as the true state of affairs. He wore his happiness like a mask and the girl has run off across the lawn with the mask and there was no way of going to knock on her door and ask for it back. (Br adbury 9) After Clarisse shatters Montag’s perception of his own reality, his view of the world begins to rapidly change. In a nutshell, Clarisse serves as the catalyst for Montag’s painful, but necessary self-examination of his character and beliefs. Clarisse’s words begin Montag’s journey for the discovery of freedom, where he fights against the constraints of the status quo and finds himself closer to happiness. This proves that free-thinking, a constituent of innovation and knowledge, is essential to one’s personal happiness. This event sparks Montag’s curiosity, but as the book progresses, his interest in knowledge only continues to grow. Later in the novel, Montag, and his fellow firemen are dispatched to burn books found at a woman’s house. The men do their usual work of spraying the building with flammable kerosene, but as they attempt to take the woman outside to prevent her from being injured, she struggles against them. She screams th at she would rather stay with her books, whether destroyed by the flames or not. The firemen give up quickly and leave the woman in her house to burn alive with her literature. This decision destroys Montag’s conscience. He realizes that the ignorance he supports is dangerous, and that books, which supportShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Happiness In Fahrenheit 4511101 Words   |  5 Pages According to Storm Jameson, â€Å"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.† Jameson suggests that happiness is not just having fun, but it is to be present in the moment and to make connections with others. Happiness is rarely found in the novel Fahrenheit 451, because this joyless society defines â€Å"fun† as driving with the need for speed and with an intention of killing small animals and people or the deadening white noise of endlessRead MoreTheme Of Happiness In Fahrenheit 4511785 Words   |  8 PagesPursuing that happiness becomes a goal that we strive for on an everyday basis. In America, it’s the American Dream. People come to this country in search of that elusive happiness. Ever since Thomas Jefferson wrote a very important sentence in our Declaration of Independence: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Crea tor with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† (Jefferson),Read MoreFahrenheit 451 By F. Bradbury1131 Words   |  5 Pages Fahrenheit 451 is a very interesting book that shows its many themes in different ways. Through a compare and contrast between the our world now and the world presented in Fahrenheit 451 we will be able to see the different themes and the factors that influence them. The four main factors that influence the story are the controlling government, terrible social conditions, advances technology and censorship. Although, some a play a bigger part than others, without all the them the book s finalRead MoreRay Bradbury Once Said, â€Å"Collecting Facts Is Important.1517 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel, â€Å"Fahrenheit 451,† provides insight to the overlying problems found in the futuristic utopian society. Ray Bradbury is well known for his masterful use of words to fill his novels with theme. Do we, as readers, pick up on the many universal ideas, or themes, authors provide in short stories, novels, or even social media postings? Theme, as Portable Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing states, is the â€Å"central or dominant idea [of a work of literature]; however, many people confuse theme withRead MoreBrave New World And Fahrenheit 451 Essay1318 Words   |  6 PagesHuxley’s Brave New World, and Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451, the idea of an ambiguous future are ex. Both of these works have original ideas and stories. Brave New World focuses more on mass production and capitalism, while Fahrenheit 451 explores more about censorship. Both of these works still share many similarities. They both deal with self expression, depression, drug abuse, and many other prominent themes. Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 both reached their social extremes through governmentRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1564 Words   |  7 PagesIn Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury highlights the strong impact literature has on people through a society that views books as threats, therefore, banning them. The citizens aren t able to see through the forms of control t hat the government utilizes to prevent questioning and promote uniformity, although some do have their own views of the world which can be shown through the characters actions, as well as songs. Both Montag, Mildred, the theme of technological control, and the event of Montag meetingRead MoreRay Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 Essay552 Words   |  3 Pages In the book Fahrenheit 451 the theme is a society/world that revolves around being basically brain washed or programmed because of the lack of people not thinking for themselves concerning the loss of knowledge, and imagination from books that dont exist to them. In such stories as the Kurt Vonneguts quot;You have insulted me letterquot; also involving censorship to better society from vulgarity and from certain aspects of life that could be seen as disruptive to day to day society which leadsRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Comparison Essay1185 Words   |  5 PagesFahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury’s Prediction of the Future TREVOR YOUNG Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel written by Ray Bradbury that depicts a futuristic American society where books are banned and independent thought is persecuted. Bradbury uses his imagination to take a hard look at a world consumed by technology, and he presents predictions about pleasure, violence and anti-intellectualism that are alarmingly similar to the modern American society. Notably, in both societies people findRead MoreDystopian Society In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1243 Words   |  5 PagesFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury takes the reader to a dystopian society where firemen do more harm than good. The setting takes place in a large United States city in the year 2053. The story has a futuristic and dark tone which makes the reader wonder what the future holds. Has the government become so corrupt that it has the power to control everything? Ray Bradbury tells a story of what happens to society when the government controls people and replaces happiness with dist ractions. The charactersRead MoreReview of Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 Essay1496 Words   |  6 PagesReview of Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 In Ray Bradburys novel Fahrenheit 451, the author utilizes the luxuries of life in America today, in addition to various occupations