Fahrenheit 451 Conformity Essay

901 Words2 Pages

Transitioning from conformity to individuality is hard for many people. Individualists encounter people who question them and their beliefs, as well as those who criticize them.Their beliefs are so foreign to others that it causes an unwarranted reaction from them if not attempted to be understood. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag shows how responding to an oppressive society in a way that does not follow the norms, causes a violent reaction. Despite becoming an individualist later in the story, life as a conformist was much easier for Montag. Montag enjoys the burning of books and embraces his identity as a fireman, “It was a pleasure to burn.He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the …show more content…

All he does is burn books and in return he gets to watch the fire burn. He and all his friends all enjoyed the sight of burning books and watching the ashes fall to the ground. After being on the job for so long, some of the things he does are second nature for him, “...hands in pockets, walked across the upper floor of the station and fell down the hole...slid to a squeaking halt, the heels are an inch from the concrete floor” (Bradbury 2). Obviously, with being on the job for so long, some of the things Montag does just come naturally at this point. Montag has so much confidence that he does not have to put his hands on the pole until he is an inch off the concrete floor. This proves how skillful Montag is when it comes to his job and how much he enjoys doing it. After becoming an individualist, life was never as easy for him as when he was a conformist. It was hard for Montag to go from living a life of conformity to individuality and seeing the people closest to him brainwashed by the government. After a good conversation with a young girl named Clarisse, he questions his own happiness, “Of course I’m happy”. What does she think of …show more content…

We can’t burn these.’ ” (Bradbury 63). When Montag realizes how important books are, he becomes infatuated by them. As you know, books like the ones Montag is interested in are forbidden by the government. But Montag’s hunger for knowledge hidden from the public causes him to get in trouble with not only the authorities, but with his old co-workers as well. Since Montag has put such a huge target on his back, he realizes the predicament he had gotten himself into, “Nowhere. There was nowhere to go, no friend to turn to, really” (Bradbury 118). Every person that Montag thought was on his side either died, switched sides or has no care for what he does. This is a serious turning point for Montag, where he only has two choices to make. He either turns himself in to the authorities by trying to go back, or he accepts the path that he has chosen for himself and fully embraces it. All the obstacles that being an individual comes with is a much harder challenge to deal with than his old life of conformity. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is a great example of what could happen by challenging an oppressive society and the consequences of doing so. It represents how some may respond to radical ideas with extreme measures, while others will try to understand your point of

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