Reflection Of Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 explores a futuristic world in which books have been outlawed, and people have become somewhat of drones. Though, there are a few exceptions. One exception in particular is an old man named Faber. Faber is a lover of literature who remembers a time before the banning of books. He is a very insightful character with much knowledge about the world. He shows this worldliness when he speaks of the reasons his society turned out the way it did. Faber claimed that three things were missing from their society (79). Though, these three elements seem to be disappearing from the modern world as well, thus, ultimately leading today down the same path Bradbury predicted.

The first missing element: Quality (79). In today’s world, literature is slimmed to the ‘need to know’. New versions of classics such as Romeo and Juliet are coming out every year with a new modern translation, and –while they may be easier to understand for some –the literary beauty is lost. The newer versions tell the tragic love story of two adolescence, but miss the substance that lies within Shakespeare’s words. Bradbury put it beautifully as “flowers living off of

flowers” (79). People no longer read using the foundations of literature that they should want. Instead, people read the dumbed-down package provided to them –ones in which no thinking is required. While Faber is speaking to the protagonist, he mentions the story of Antaeus and Hercules. In the legend, Antaeus is a very strong fighter, but only when he is on the ground. So, when Hercules lifted Antaeus from the ground, he perished. Faber then goes on to say, “If there isn’t something in that legend for us today, … than I am completely insane” (79-80). Luckily for Faber’s sanity, there is indeed truth in his statement. The tale of Anteaus –as Faber uses it –is referencing how without books, people will lose their grounding and strength. Without books, humans will not last. The quote is even more relevant in modern times because, not only are literary works being diluted, but they are being banned. Works such as Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, and even Fahrenheit 451 itself is being taken off the shelves of libraries and schools everywhere because of ‘questionable material’. Unfortunately, the horrendous act in Fahrenheit 451 of censoring books has become more than just a disastrous possibility, but an abhorrent truth.
The second of the three rudiments is time (80). Time is needed for the text to really sink in to the reader –for them to really be able to grasp the concepts the book proposes. In modern society, that time is deprived from people. Of the twenty-four hours in a day, the average person spends about eight hours sleeping, nine hours working, and about an hour is spent on food. That leaves close to six hours for reading and digesting books. Normally, that would be plenty of time for reading and thinking, but most of human’s extra time is spent on inconsequential acts such as watching TV, or playing video games. These activities completely wipe away human’s desire for thinking or bettering themselves through knowledge. Modern technology makes books seem obsolete, and there is very much a problem in that.
The final necessity is the result in people’s actions that comes from what they have learned from the books they have read (81).

The third of the three needs is obviously not going to become prevalent if the first two are being taken away. In order for people to change, they need to think, and in order to think, people need something to think about. People are not free to think their own thoughts. Most humans are more likely to conform than to stray from the crowd since it is easier than fabricating their own beliefs and ideas. Even if someone was to try to break away from the orthodoxy, it is becoming increasingly more difficult as thought provoking authors and books are being withheld from the public. In order to re-gain the third need in modern society, the first two needs must first be given back to

humanity.
Modern society is walking itself down a bad road. Humanity is winding its way down the path of censorship and conformity that Bradbury predicted. In order to prevent the monstrous future in Fahrenheit 451, three requirements must be given to the people. The first: literature of good quality. The second: time for readers to think about what they have read. The last: the opportunity for people to change their actions based on the knowledge they have acquired. Only when the three rudiments are given back to the world can society be liberated from the shackles that have seized their minds.