Flaws In Fahrenheit 451

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Can humans ever be perfect? Can a person not have flaws? We treat ourselves like the superior race on earth. For example, we believe we are the smartest and most peaceful beings on earth. This leads many humans to believe that we are perfect when the reality is that every human has flaws. These flaws often become the subject of many books. The books Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee all display a flaw found in most humans. Not thinking carefully is the common flaw among the characters in these three novels. In Fahrenheit 451 desensitization is the reason for people’s lack of carefulness. Judging in Of Mice and Men and prejudice in To kill a Mockingbird result …show more content…

The characters in this story can’t comprehend perilous situations. The main character’s wife, Mildred, is unable to understand the significance of death, “She’s gone for good. I think she’s dead. Run over by a car four days ago” (Bradbury 41), when referring to her neighbor who had just died. Mildred says this without showing any emotion or sorrow. Unlike most caring people, Mildred didn’t comment on how sad or unfortunate her neighbor’s death was. Mildred is an example of how desensitization can rule the way we act. On the other hand, Mildred’s husband, Montag, is one of the few characters in this book who show sympathy. This is the reason, “He had chills and a fever in the morning” (Bradbury 42). Montag didn’t feel well because he can’t help but feel blue when thinking about his neighbors tragic death. The author Ray Bradbury explains Montag’s state of being to show the contrast between a desensitized person like Mildred and a sympathetic person like Montag. This theme is a problem found in most humans. For example, in today’s society we cheer for the violence in sports. We cheer for the big hits or checks without thinking twice. In this instance, Mildred might not have intended to be rude but her desensitized personality kept her from realizing what she was saying. If humans like Mildred cannot care for others’ feelings or have sympathy, then how can they be “perfect?” Therefore, if …show more content…

In the book Of Mice and Men, there are two main characters named George and Lennie. At the site of their job, there is a black man named Crooks. In the time period this book takes place in, race is a common cause of judging. We see judging occur in this novel when George scolds Lennie for being in Crook’s room, “What you doin’ in Crooks’ room. You hadn’t oughtta be in here” (Steinbeck 82). This shows that George doesn’t trust Crooks and thinks he’s a bad influence for Lennie. George says this because he doesn’t know Crooks and thinks he is a bad man just because of his race. This assumption was made by George to try to give himself some clarity about who Crooks is. George created this perspective of Crooks without any basis and instead he aligns himself with the stereotypical view of blacks. Judging as seen in Of Mice and Men is very important to a society because it shows that there is separation among humans. People cannot judge others if they are all the same or equal. This inequality is why George discriminated against Crooks. If humans can stop judging each other at first sight, then maybe all humans will be treated equally and societies will be much closer to becoming

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