Censoring the Pages of Knowledge Imagine a world where you could not read or own any books. How would you feel if you had someone burn your house because you have books hidden within the walls? One of the most prevalent themes in Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 is the idea of censorship. In Bradbury's fictional world, owning books is illegal. A fireman's job is not putting out fires like one may assume. In Fahrenheit 451, a fireman has the job of starting fires. Firefighters start fires in homes containing books. If this were reality, there would be no homes to live in. Books have become an integral part of American life. However, the theme of censorship is still relevant in American life. Censorship is enforced in an interesting way in Fahrenheit 451. Normally if someone was asked about the roles of firemen, they would respond, "firemen are people who put out fires." The role of firemen in Fahrenheit 451 is completely different. Firemen are the enforcers of the censorship laws. They are called upon when a person is known to have books in their house. The opening line of Bradbury's novel is, "It was a pleasure to burn" (3). Firemen seemed to enjoy their status as book burners. Many even got an adrenaline rush out of burning books. Guy Montag, the protagonist and main character of the novel was a fireman who once felt starting the fires in people's homes was thrilling. In describing Montag's actions during one particular fire, Bradbury writes, "He wanted above all, like the old joke to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house" (3). This quote demonstrates the mentality of the firemen and the opinion of the government. Books are evil in t... ... middle of paper ... ...in restrictions are needed. Pornography should not be available to children. I do not have a problem with parental advisory labels on music. However, putting a ban on all books is a very scary proposition. Bradbury's novel does not come close to describing how miserable this world would become. Everybody in this world depends on books whether or not they are literate. It can be said that we get most of our morals and values from books. These morals are found in books such as the Bible, Aesop's Fables, and sometimes even the trashy romance novels that women tend to love. Without books, the world could be explained in one word, educated. An uneducated world is a miserable world full of fighting and conflict. An uneducated world is a world at constant war. A world with out books is a dystopian world. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine Books, 1953.
“It was a pleasure to burn,”(3) that was the idea Ray Bradbury was trying to get across in the novel Fahrenheit 451. This novel takes place in the future, where governments only law is to burn books. In this novel, you will see how Bradbury explains the life of Guy Montag, a fireman who burns houses for a living. However one day he burns a house with a woman in who is willing to die for her books, this made Montag have the urge to steal a book. The stealing of the book is what lead him to believe society is lead by censorship. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury shows us a world in the future, in which free thought is controlled through censorship, which leads to an ignorant, insensitive, and non independent society.
In Fahrenheit 451, the government exercised censorship supposedly for the purpose of happiness. Through technology and media, the government was able to eliminate individuality by manipulating the mind of the people into believing the propaganda of what happiness is. The people’s ignorance made them obediently abide that they failed to realize how far technology and the media have taken control of their minds. The free thought of characters such as Montag and Clarisse collided with that of Captain Beatty, who strongly believe in and enforce the censorship, and the firemen, whose role was to burn illegal books; these clashes were Bradbury’s way
In the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the main struggle for power deals with the government. This overly oppressive, almost Orwellian style bureaucracy, tries to make sure there is no interaction with books at all. They believe that books permeate their society and corrupt the minds of the people. Unannounced searches of property by "firemen" are not at all uncommon. At the slightest inkling of this futuristic contraband, these firemen will rummage through all of one's property, at times, destroying everything in their path.
The theme of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 can be viewed from several different angles. First and foremost, Bradbury's novel gives an anti-censorship message. Bradbury understood censorship to be a natural outcropping of an overly tolerant society. Once one group objects to something someone has written, that book is modified and censorship begins. Soon, another minority group objects to something else in the book, and it is again edited until eventually the book is banned altogether. In Bradbury's novel, society has evolved to such an extreme that all literature is illegal to possess. No longer can books be read, not only because they might offend someone, but because books raise questions that often lead to revolutions and even anarchy. The intellectual thinking that arises from reading books can often be dangerous, and the government doesn't want to put up with this danger. Yet this philosophy, according to Bradbury, completely ignores the benefits of knowledge. Yes, knowledge can cause disharmony, but in many ways, knowledge of the past, which is recorded in books, can prevent man from making similar mistakes in the present and future.
Salinger, J. D.. The Catcher in the Rye. [1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 19511945. Print.
Pinsker, Sanford. The Catcher In The Rye: Innocence Under Pressure. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993.
Jerome David Salinger, best known for his first and only published novel The Catcher in the Rye, is one of the most mysterious American authors in history. Born on January 1, 1919 in New York City to Sol and Miriam Salinger, Salinger grew up faced with criticism from the public, as his parents were of different ethnicities, and mixed marriages were highly looked down upon. His youth was spent transferring from different preparatory schools before he attended Valley Forge Military Academy, and upon graduating from Valley Forge, Salinger attended numerous colleges but did not graduate from any, but did excel in a short story class at Columbia University. He was drafted for World War II and fought in Europe, and when he returned to America, Salinger began to write more stories, and in 1951 he published what would be his only full-length novel, The Cather in the Rye. His remarkable novel set a new precedent for post-World War II literature and thrust Salinger into the lime light of literary fame, pushing Salinger into reclusiveness. J. D. Salinger’s attendance at Valley Forge Academy and fighting in World War II led to the creation of Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of his sole novel, The Catcher in the Rye.
Catcher in the Rye by Jerome David Salinger is a story where Holden Caulfield, the speaker and hero of the tale, commences the narrating at his previous boarding school, Pencey Prep, in Agerstown. The bulk of the story later on takes place in New York City through Christmas. The substantial setting of the story is rather significant, because it exemplifies Holden´s solitude in New York. As a whole, this novel is developed like a recollection of Holden’s thoughts that ultimately culminated in his story. Literary elements of the novel also present themselves in harmony with the storyline. This allows J.D. Salinger to provide readers with an array of messages that are firmly presented through his use of both literary and rhetorical devices.
Since its publication in 1951, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has served as a firestorm for controversy and debate. Critics have argued the moral issues raised by the book and the context in which it is presented. Some have argued that Salinger's tale of the human condition is fascinating and enlightening, yet incredibly depressing. The psychological battles of the novel's main character, Holden Caulfield, serve as the basis for critical argument. Caulfield's self-destruction over a period of days forces one to contemplate society's attitude toward the human condition. Salinger's portrayal of Holden, which includes incidents of depression, nervous breakdown, impulsive spending, sexual exploration, vulgarity, and other erratic behavior, have all attributed to the controversial nature of the novel. Yet the novel is not without its sharp advocates, who argue that it is a critical look at the problems facing American youth during the 1950's. When developing a comprehensive opinion of the novel, it is important to consider the praises and criticisms of The Catcher in the Rye.
Nussbaum, MC 2006, ‘The moral status of animals’, The Chronicle of Higher Education, vol.1, no.4, pp. 1-6.
At the present time, at least seventy-five books are being banned. This is hurting our culture more than it is helping. This has to be stopped; books cannot be taken off of the shelves at the rate that they are today. The books that are being taken off of the shelves are, for the most part, considered classics. The act of book banning puts limitations on what authors can say, and what readers can read (Dorshemer p.1). The banning of books in America is a violation of our first amendment rights. Amendment 1 of the United States Constitution states as follows:
Catcher in the Rye is a novel written by J.D Salinger in 1951. The novel reflects some aspects of Salinger’s life as he goes through his issues and ordeals along with daily life. Not all scenarios in the novel relate to Salinger but there are some recognizable features which assist with concluding that the author is reflected in the story. The novel takes on a casual, informal tone which aroused readers of that time, claiming that his writing wasn’t “real literature.”
Such as Allie’s baseball glove and Holden’s red hunting cap. To better illustrate the importance of the baseball mitt which belonged to the late Allie Caulfield one must first understand the uniqueness it holds. The glove is left as a physical representation of Allie. With its scribbled poems in green ink and the actual fact that the glove is not a catcher’s mitt, but a fielder’s glove. The poems written on the mitt hold a sense of optimism yet an almost tragic hope due to the mitt’s discarded use. Just the color of the ink could represent vitality and life. However the hurt from the death of Holden’s younger brother has affected him to the point of
With the death of Allie Caulfield, Holden, of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, fears that he will not survive the transition from adolescence into adulthood, demonstrates his need to believe he is the protector of innocence in order to be able to live in a seemingly “phony” world.