Fahrenheit 451 Research Paper

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Time and time again, humanity has seen the rise and fall of totalitarian ruling bodies. From ancient empires to modern dictatorships, a pattern of cyclical ascent and decay of totalitarianism emerges. What is it about such autocracies that inevitably cause them to collapse? In theory, the ability of a ruling body to control all aspects of its citizens’ lives is the optimal method of maintaining power. However, as depicted in the novels 1984, Animal Farm, and Fahrenheit 451, it is extremely unrealistic to successfully uphold totalitarian rule over a long period of time. Totalitarianism plants the seeds of its own destruction as a result of the following: manipulation of information and truth undermines the stability of such regimes; suppression …show more content…

However, to the animals’ dismay, each of the two times they get close to completing the windmill, it is destroyed by some force outside of their control. When the windmill first falls as a result of a storm, the pigs deceive the other animals by attributing its destruction to Snowball. Such lies enable the pigs’ selfish motives and disregard the well-being of the other animals. The physical collapse of the windmill is figuratively equivalent to the eventual downfall of animalism. In a fashion similar to that of Animal Farm, totalitarian societies in general, crumble under the weight of deceit. Individual rights and freedoms are as important as untainted records of the truth are in a stable society. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the suppression of individual expression and rights causes rebellion among citizens such as Clarrise, Montag, and the scholars. Throughout the novel, the government enforces strict censorship laws, banning and burning books to limit potentially controversial ideas. Citizens are discouraged from questioning norms, and any deviation from said norms is met with severe …show more content…

To him, the red-armed prole woman is a symbol of resilience and continuity of life. In his diary, Winston writes: “If there is hope,... it lies in the proles” (1984 72). Winston realizes that the proles have held on to their humanity, unlike Party members like himself and Julia. The novel Animal Farm begins with talks of rebellion against Mr. Jones and his oppressive rule over the animals. Old Major’s speech ignited a sense of collective discontent among the animals, as he outlined the injustices they suffered under Mr. Jones’s management, such as long working hours, hunger, and overall poor living conditions. Old Major says: “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is the lord of all the animals" (Animal Farm 4). Inspired by Old Major's vision, the animals come to imagine a future free of exploitation by humans. The song Beasts of England is sung by the animals several times throughout the novel; this symbolizes the collective spirit of resistance among the animals and their desire for a better

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