Reflection On Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel, by Ray Bradbury, where individuality and knowledge is frowned upon, and books are illegal. Although, the protagonists, Montag, starts to question why these things are considered horrific in their despotic society. On Montag’s journey, he becomes close to several people who assist him in pondering the true reason books are banned and how it leads to society's low standards of knowledge. Readers can use the author’s tone to infer his purpose. By analyzing his diction, the purpose can be seen, and related back to our society today.
Throughout the novel,negative diction is used to show censorship of books and how it is an concept. Bradbury expresses his urge to readers that books are vital for knowledge using a negative tone towards the banning of books. In the novel while Captain Beatty is explaining to Montag what happened to books, word choice of negative words are utilized to show anger towards eliminating books, “Once, books appealed to a few people, here, there, everywhere. They could afford to be different. The world was roomy. But then the world got full of eyes and elbows and mouths. Double, triple,

quadruple population. Films and radios, magazines, books leveled down to a sort of pastepudding norm,”(Bradbury 54). The author’s negative tone reveals how trying to please everyone’s opinion becomes dangerous and hazardous to our knowledge. Books provide us with imperishable amounts of knowledge in the pages; Bradbury wants people to acknowledge the positive effect books have on us as people. In society today, books are often perceived as boring and not worth the time, but Bradbury is identifying the negative effect eliminating books has on our lives; destroying the abundance of opportunities for knowledge contained in books.
Also in negativity towards censorship of books, Faber demonstrates to Montag why books are not permitted in a different way, “So now do you see why books are hated and feared?

They show the pores in the face of life. The comfortable people want only wax moon faces, poreless, hairless, expressionless,”(Bradbury 83). The diction of negative words such as: hated, feared, and expressionless, assemble the negative tone Bradbury repeatedly shows against the books no longer being accepted by society. The use of negative tone when the topic of banned books appears in the book, reveals Bradbury’s purpose of making sure books are not forgotten, but treasured. The author is reminding us that not everyone is ever going to be pleased at once, therefore, books should not be neglected because of laziness and people being offended by

some.
Also throughout the book, the author uses specific tones towards the use of technology and the effect it has towards people’s lives. In the book, technology is made to simplify everyday lives, like a toaster that butters the bread on its own, although, Bradbury sees it differently, “We get these cases nine or ten a night. Got so many, starting a few years ago, we had the special machines built. With the optical lense of course, that was new; the rest is ancient.You dont need an M. D., case like this; all you need is two handymen, clean up the problem in half an hour,”(Bradbury 15). The author is using a causal, neutral diction to create the formal, bitter tone. The author’s purpose in using this tone when referring to technology is to express the ways it eliminates needing knowledge to perform activities. Instead of having true skill, people just need to know how to operate a simple machine.
In addition to the machine that replaced Mildred’s insides, parlor walls are also seen in a negative way. Bradbury uses negative tone to show how the parlor walls pull people in, “It’s really fun. It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get that fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall-TV put in? It’s only two thousand dollars,”(Bradbury 20). Bradbury uses a light, formal tone and using positive diction by using words such as fun, and save. Bradbury’s purpose is to show how people let technology take over their lives; let it pull them in and do the work for them. The people do not require thinking in order to use their technology. It is easy, quick, fun, and painless.
In conclusion, readers can see how the tone and word choice of the author reveal the meaning and purpose of the novel. Bradbury uses a negative tone towards concepts he believes need to be changed. Seeing books being taken for granted can lead us to much less knowledge. The author is stressing to us to continue to never stop learning. Knowledge is very important, and the author does not want our society to lose it. The author’s purpose is that knowledge is important, we should not take it for granted.