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Arguments against book censorship
Book banning
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Many books have been questioned and challenged. Even as far as to banning them. But what exactly is a banned book and why are they banned? A banned book is a book that has been censored by an authority, a government body, a library, or a even school system. A book that has been banned is actually removed from a library or school system. The actual contextual reasons as to banning them is use of explicit violence, gore, sexuality, explicit language, religion, or dark times in history. On the non-contextual side of the reason why they are banned books are usually because with the best intentions to protect people, frequently children, from difficult philosophies and information. Teachers, or even more common adults, often censor books from children if they feel that the books have maniacal or controversial ideas in them. In some scenarios, those who are censoring books think that a book might be appropriate for a certain, or several groups in society. A book that might be perfectly fine for a ninth grader might easily be horrendous or confusing to a fourth grader. Thus having them exposed and influenced to thinking a certain way and act upon what they have just read. Well at least that’s what people think is going to happen anyways. But honestly, reading books of any genre gives us knowledge, entertainment, and imagination so therefore no books or novels should be banned and is ultimately dependent on the reader’s choice. The novel’s protagonist is Guy Montag, a “fireman” in an unspecified futuristic society where he and his other fireman start fires, rather than put them out. Which brings situational irony because in our modern world firemen are supposed to extinguish fires not start them. Books are banned and burned upon discove... ... middle of paper ... ...a tremendous amount of persuasion to tide someone away from their faith. Once again it’s just used to make a great book because it makes it stick out like a sore thumb and people usually don’t like controversy. Additionally, Fahrenheit 451 showed explicit words and contents strictly not suitable for young readers. It has banned in many schools and even the governments of other countries banned them. It is not useful as they think a book should be since it contains offending words. Parents also filed complaints which furthermore led to prohibiting Bradbury’s work. Certain people think swear words corrupts minds of those who could read it. Which is understandable but the cursing in this book represented people in our world as well as anger. A single individual cannot express blazing fury through non curse words which Montag used throughout to show is viciousness.
In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a fireman named Guy Montag is hired to burn books and the houses that encase them. He happily does his job until his new seventeen-year-old neighbor named Clarisse McClellan talks of a past where people fought fires instead of starting them, she sparks the start of a self-discovery that is completed by an English professor named Faber and an intellectual book-memorizing group lead by a man named Granger. Montag is persecuted for his actions when his wife, Mildred, reports him to the fire station, and must run away. After he finally escapes, Montag watches the city go down in flames from air strikes. Mildred is a negative influence to Montag, and Clarisse is a positive influence.
It is once in a while in the history of one's literary experience that a book comes a long which is so poignant in its message, so "frightening in its implications" [New York Times], and so ironically simplistic in its word choice. One of these treasures of 20th century literature sits on my desk in front of me as I type-Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the novel devoted to denouncing the adage, "Ignorance is bliss". This novel provides a glance into a bleak world similar to our own (almost too similar) where war is common, feelings are shunned, family is non-existent, and thought is no longer an individual's query. To facilitate this last criterion of Mr. Bradbury's world, books have been banned, condemned to be burned on sight along with their possessors. (Incidentally, I am sure that Mr. Bradbury was aware of the high irony of writing this down in a book when he conceived of the idea.) And who should be the policemen of this world of ignorance? The "firemen." Not unlike the firemen in our world today, they dress alike, drive big trucks, and wail their loud sirens. There is one fundamental difference, however-these firemen start fires; they cleanse the evil books of their sin. And who should personify the heartless, unfeeling, cold-warm fireman but Guy Montag. His father was a fireman, and his father in turn, so what other job could there be for a man like him? Well, as you, the reader, will see, Montag will soon have trouble answering that question himself.
Books are banned by the government in the dystopian society that brings the unstable perspective of not knowing what is good and what is wrong. The people of this society think that books will take away their happiness and ruin their lives. However, the government hides a secret that it uses to gain control over the citizens and change their minds. At the beginning of the book, Montag starts off by revealing his perspective on burning, “It was a pleasure to burn” (1). At this point it wasn’t clear who said this but whoever it was, they seem to like burning. In our society you were not able to burn things without permission unless it was on your property. Later in the book, the novel reveals that Montag, a fireman was the one that said the previous
This book depicts a story about a futuristic world in the middle of a nuclear war. The government of this future forbids its people from reading or taking a part in individual thinking. During this time, the law against reading is new and the government is taken on a task of destroying all of the books. This is where we meet or main character named Guy Montag. He is a fireman. Him and his crew go around and burn books in libraries, and homes.
In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by author Ray Bradbury we are taken into a place of the future where books have become outlawed, technology is at its prime, life is fast, and human interaction is scarce. The novel is seen through the eyes of middle aged man Guy Montag. A firefighter, Ray Bradbury portrays the common firefighter as a personal who creates the fire rather than extinguishing them in order to accomplish the complete annihilation of books. Throughout the book we get to understand that Montag is a fire hungry man that takes pleasure in the destruction of books. It’s not until interacting with three individuals that open Montag’s eyes helping him realize the errors of his ways. Leading Montag to change his opinion about books, and more over to a new direction in life with a mission to preserve and bring back the life once sought out in books. These three individual characters Clarisse McClellan, Faber, and Granger transformed Montag through the methods of questioning, revealing, and teaching.
The protagonist is Guy Montag, who is a middle-aged fireman who burns books for a living. Montag’s description is given on page 33 that says “Had he ever seen a fireman that didn’t have black hair, black brows, a fiery face, and a blue-steel shaved but unshaved look? These men we are all mirror images of himself”. All the firemen looked like each other, including Guy Montag. He also had the smell of kerosene, which they used to burn the books.
While much of the society believes the censorship is what provides for a successful society, Montag is one of a few that believe the opposite. This theme is expressed literally in that way, but there is deeper meaning to Bradbury’s discussion of government involvement in censorship. Fahrenheit 451 was first written in 1951, a time when television was becoming a viral piece of mass communication. As a writer, Bradbury had to make a choice that in his eyes, allowed readers to be captivated by a literal story but be able to read between the lines as if reading through eyes that aren’t their own (Foster 226). Bradbury chose to use the main and dynamic character to be the one who is realizing the true nature of what censorship is doing to the society to open the eyes of Americans. Everything that happens in the novel is a metaphor alerting readers of the future Bradbury is worried
The theme of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 can be viewed from several different angles. First and foremost, Bradbury's novel gives an anti-censorship message. Bradbury understood censorship to be a natural outcropping of an overly tolerant society. Once one group objects to something someone has written, that book is modified and censorship begins. Soon, another minority group objects to something else in the book, and it is again edited until eventually the book is banned altogether. In Bradbury's novel, society has evolved to such an extreme that all literature is illegal to possess. No longer can books be read, not only because they might offend someone, but because books raise questions that often lead to revolutions and even anarchy. The intellectual thinking that arises from reading books can often be dangerous, and the government doesn't want to put up with this danger. Yet this philosophy, according to Bradbury, completely ignores the benefits of knowledge. Yes, knowledge can cause disharmony, but in many ways, knowledge of the past, which is recorded in books, can prevent man from making similar mistakes in the present and future.
During the 1950s, America was facing the competitions with Soviet Union. Cold War, fear of atomic warfare, and communism influences intensified the society’s instability. What’s more, many social problems attracted people’s focus: many writers “concerns about censorship and conformity during a period when free expression of ideas could lead to social and economic ostracization” (Telgen 138). Many essays and novels reflected this social background. However, one author, Ray Bradbury, became a preeminent writer in that era. His work not only pointed out that the people are becoming more and more apathy as well as the censorship problem, but also showed people’s fear about war.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a powerful novel that has transcended time. The novel was published in 1953. Bradbury’s piece continues to resonant with readers. Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic piece that tells a story of a society in which books are banned, firefighters are not used for putting out fires but rather starting them when banned books are found, and anyone who talks about the time when books were not shunned is considered an outcast. The novel’s protagonist, Montag, is a fireman who discovers the lies and develops an interest in the books he has been ordered to burn. Ray Bradbury’s intent for the novel, might have been to express his concerns
In Ray Bradbury’s, Fahrenheit 451, censorship plays a enormous role in the theme, in that books are not allowed by the government, fireman burn books, and citizens have a lack of education on previous events.
People ban books for dumb reasons that make absolutely no sense. Another is dumb religious reasons. Ministers and educators challenged it (it being the wonderful wizard of oz) for its “ungodly” influence and for depicting women in strong leadership roles They banned the wizard of oz because it showed girls in a leadership role (what?).This is really important because they are banning a classic book because the princess was a thing that people got really people got upset with it. “Others accuse the novel of attacks on religion, the disabled and women.” Lord of the flies (“http://www.banned-books.org.uk/sections/corrosive”). Once again PC police have come again to shut down another book that is actually pretty good.Also once again imagination is not encouraged. Don’t ban books for religious reasons that are not valid. Finally racism (that is not racism). “"A review of the book in question shows it to include pervasive vulgarity and racially insensitive language,"(The Hate you Give) Hindt said.” The story is about the struggles of a black girl in a racist environment (wouldn’t this be considered anti-racist). They can basically just ban whatever book they want.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark
There are multiple reasons why a book can be banned or challenged. Book banning causes the removal of materials in schools and libraries due to “inappropriate” content. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, was banned due to sexual content and language.
A far better point can be made on the state of modern society when introducing the complimentary theme of government censorship. This novel follows the life of Guy Montag, who is a fireman; however, in the dystopian future this novel portrays firemen who start fires rather than putting an end to them. The firemen in this novel act as agents of censorship for the governing force within their literary universe. They burn books and in an interesting turn of events sometimes even the opposition (pp. 35-37). This goes to show the brutality and barbarism that can be associated with the more intense and authoritarian regents of censorship. It also reflects real life in the sense that an elderly woman was willing to die for her beliefs. Similarly to when the Buddhists were repressed and used self immolation to prove their own dedication to what they believe. As did this woman regarding her feelings towards a life without literature. This woman fully embodied what every intellectual feels about literature deep inside their hearts. She proved that if the government wanted to censor her literature. That the government would also have to censor her. Montag is disturbed by this rather significantly and as the story progresses, he ultimately realizes that the censorship he is aiding in is wrong and joins
The main character, Guy Montag, is a fireman, but his job is to start fires, not put them out. On a job Montag is supposed to start the fire “He flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black” (1) In this society, reading books, or even having them in possession is against the law. Firemen, like Montag find these people and burn the books they have. This is because