Without knowledge, mankind acts abhorrently and indifferently. There are many events and works by mankind that show the effects of a lack of knowledge. Fahrenheit 451 is a work of science fiction that shows what happens to mankind when there is a deficiency in intelligence, the book states that we need this on Page 86 with the quote, “[Humanity does] need knowledge”. This idea is not anything new in 380 BCE, Plato wrote in The Republic on how there is a process to developing intelligence that is natural to man, however wisdom is often met with violence from the uneducated and indifferent majority. Even in real-life situations, the Holocaust was a result of indifference and a lack of knowledge and understanding. Knowledge is vital to mankind and is necessary for understanding and developing our world.
As stated in Fahrenheit 451 on page 86, “[Humanity does] need knowledge”. Though this
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scenario is a work of science-fiction, this is inspired by real-world events and shows the drastic extremes of ignorance. Even so, the results are frightening, a society where almost everyone is obsessed with 24/7 thrills results in an ignorant and indifferent people. Because of this those who are deep-thinkers and intelligent are ostracized and weeded out by public-supported burning of books. With knowledge you can make proper and informed decisions rather than those of hate and excitement, that more often than not, do not benefit many. Even though this example is science-fiction, the possibilities are all too real. This idea of needing knowledge and a way of processing our world is not at all new.
You can date back to 380 BCE where Plato wrote these ideas in, The Republic. The need to process our surroundings is natural to mankind. As shown in this book, no matter where you take a person from, with leisure time, they’ll attempt to understand their world. When this is accomplished, an ignorant majority, will, most of the time, respond violently towards the higher educated. In The Allegory of the Cave these ideas are explored and really makes one ponder, am I in ignorant chains and act with indifference? There is a process indeed, we all travel down this road, but, at what point do we stop investigating our world and accept what we already know as 100% fact. With knowledge you can better understand what is real versus what is an allusion. However act with caution around those of less knowledge, for they’ll act with indifference more often than not. Whether there is a higher moral duty to expose those falsities or not, is up to those who have an understanding of this higher
ground. Elie Wiesel spoke a quote that is quite relevant to this topic, "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." This quote however does not address this point, what is the opposite of knowledge? Is it ignorance, or indifference? The opposite of knowledge is of course indifference. But it seems that the driving force of indifference is in itself, ignorance. Elie knows indifference as he experienced the highest breakdown of knowledge and failure to understand fellow man with the most disgusting act mankind has carried out; the Holocaust. Understanding the reality of everything we encounter is absolutely necessary for mankind. To develop and understand our future, past, and present will ensure that a breakdown of knowledge can be avoided and devastating results of these terrible events can be avoided. Without knowledge as participants in the great human race, we are all indifferent and isolated. We need to attempt to understand each other and work together to make sure we do not receive the denunciation of future generations as we do so towards our ancestors. Knowledge is necessary, knowledge is desired and needed for everyone. With the right knowledge anything can be accomplished. However, with the wrong kind, also known as indifference severe consequences can result. As shown in actual events and fictional pieces, the result of a lack of knowledge is all but positive. Through abominable happenings such as the Holocaust, where words can not describe the horror on the capabilities of mankind's indifference; and all the way to works of literature by Plato and Ray Bradbury. In short respect and cherish knowledge because it is an absolute necessity for our, and future generations.
The novel "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury correlates with the 2002 film "Minority Report" because of the similarities between characters, setting and imagery, and thematic detail.
Thomas Gray, a poet from the eighteenth century, coined the phrase “Ignorance is bliss” in his poem, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College (1742), and three centuries later, this quote is commonly used to convey the message that sometimes, being ignorant of the truth can cause happiness, and knowledge can actually can be the source of pain or sadness. However, in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, this phrase is taken very literally, and knowledge is feared to the extent where books are considered illegal. Throughout The Hearth and the Salamander, Guy Montag, the main character, experiences a drastic change wherein he begins to realize that there is power in knowledge, and that this intelligence has the potential to be worth more than the so-called “bliss” that ignorance can bring.
In the 1950 novel Fahrenheit 451, AUTHOR Ray Bradbury presents the now familiar images of mind controlING worlds. People now live in a world where they are blinded from the truth of the present and the past. The novel is set in the, perhaps near, future where the world is AT war, and firemen set fires instead of putting them out. Books and written knowledge ARE banned from the people, and it is the firemen's job to burn books. Firemen are the policemen of THE FUTURE. Some people have rebelled by hiding books, but have not been very successful. Most people have conformed to THE FUTURE world. Guy Montag, a fireman, is a part of the majority who have conformed. BUT throughout the novel Montag goes through a transformation, where he changes from a Conformist to a Revolutionary.
“Our Civilization is flinging itself to pieces. Stand back from the centrifuge” (Bradbury, 84). The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a comment on the habit of mankind to destroy itself, only to pop right back up from the ashes. The main character, Guy Montag, represents the parts of mankind that are becoming aware of this, through awareness, change through tragedy and obligation to spread both the former.
Are you really happy? Or are you sad about something? Sad about life or money, or your job? Any of these things you can be sad of. Most likely you feel discontentment a few times a day and you still call yourself happy. These are the questions that Guy Montag asks himself in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In this book people are thinking they are happy with their lives. This is only because life is going so fast that they think they are but really there is things to be sad about. Montag has finally met Clarisse, the one person in his society that stops to smell the roses still. She is the one that gets him thinking about how his life really is sad and he was just moving too fast to see it. He realizes that he is sad about pretty much everything in his life and that the government tries to trick the people by listening to the parlor and the seashells. This is just to distract people from actual emotions. People are always in a hurry. They have 200 foot billboards for people driving because they are driving so fast that they need more time to see the advertisement. Now I am going to show you who are happy and not happy in the book and how our society today is also unhappy.
In Federalist 10 James Madison argued that while factions are inevitable, they might have interests adverse to the rights of other citizens. Madison’s solution was the implementation of a Democratic form of government. He felt that majority rule would not eliminate factions, but it would not allow them to be as powerful as they were. With majority rule this would force all parties affiliate and all social classes from the rich white to the poor minorities to work together and for everyone’s opinion and views to be heard.
Henry David Thoreau, a famous American author, once said that “What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?” Essentially, Thoreau is saying that even though people are normal, we as a society are not and have various faults. Ray Bradbury reflects upon Thoreau’s ideas in his novel entitled Fahrenheit 451. Despite that fact that Bradbury is describing how society might look in the future, he is actually criticizing the society we live in today. In the novel, Guy Montag, the protagonist, realizes that his supposed utopian society is actually a dystopia. Montag finally realizes this when Clarisse, his young neighbor, asks him if he is happy. Although Montag believes that he is happy, it becomes clear later in the novel that he is not. Montag finds countless faults in his society. Throughout the novel, Bradbury’s goal is to warn the reader of faults in society, such as the education system and our attachment to technology.
“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives” ~ James Madison
The North Korean government is known as authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship. North Korea could be considered a start of a dystopia. Dystopia is a community or society where people are unhappy and usually not treated fairly. This relates how Ray Bradbury's 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 shows the readers how a lost of connections with people and think for themselves can lead to a corrupt and violent society known as a dystopia.
Fahrenheit 451’s Relevance to Today Fahrenheit 451’s relevance to today can be very detailed and prophetic when we take a deep look into our American society. Although we are not living in a communist setting with extreme war waging on, we have gained technologies similar to the ones Bradbury spoke of in Fahrenheit 451 and a stubborn civilization that holds an absence of the little things we should enjoy. Bradbury sees the future of America as a dystopia, yet we still hold problematic issues without the title of disaster, as it is well hidden under our democracy today. Fahrenheit 451 is much like our world today, which includes television, the loss of free speech, and the loss of the education and use of books. Patai explains that Bradbury saw that people would soon be controlled by the television and saw it as the creators chance to “replace lived experience” (Patai 2).
“ True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge but the refusal to require it”. This quotation explains how individuals take for granted the knowledge given to them without recognizing it’s importance. This is evident in today’s world with social media and fake news. Farenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury also focuses on this theme by subjecting characters to visual stimuli that brainwashes them. Not only are they brainwashed by images, but also all real news and information are blocked by the government. Where the government utilizes different forms of media control to manipulate society’s way of thinking, often leading to ignorance, a sense of emptiness and sorrow.
The pursuit of knowledge can lead to a humans destruction and awareness. The pursuit of
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
Fahrenheit 451 is a best-selling American novel written by Ray Bradbury. The novel is about firemen Guy Montag and his journey on discovering the importance of knowledge in an ignorant society. There are many important themes present throughout the novel. One of the most distinct and reoccurring themes is ignorance vs knowledge. Bradbury subtly reveals the advantage and disadvantages of knowledge and ignorance by the contrasting characters Montag and his wife Mildred. Montag symbolizes knowledge while Mildred on the other hand symbolizes ignorance.
In the book, Fahrenheit 451,written by Ray Bradbury, he had put in literary devices to help readers understand what is going on throughout the context of the story. The literary devices used in the book were imagery and personification. These literary devices will help shows how technology ruins personal relationships.