Censoring the Pages of Knowledge Essay -- Books Literature Essays

Censoring the Pages of Knowledge Imagine a world where you could not read or own any books. How would you feel if you had someone burn your house because you have books hidden within the walls? One of the most prevalent themes in Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 is the idea of censorship. In Bradbury's fictional world, owning books is illegal. A fireman's job is not putting out fires like one may assume. In Fahrenheit 451, a fireman has the job of starting fires. Firefighters start fires in homes containing books. If this were reality, there would be no homes to live in. Books have become an integral part of American life. However, the theme of censorship is still relevant in American life. Censorship is enforced in an interesting way in Fahrenheit 451. Normally if someone was asked about the roles of firemen, they would respond, "firemen are people who put out fires." The role of firemen in Fahrenheit 451 is completely different. Firemen are the enforcers of the censorship laws. They are called upon when a person is known to have books in their house. The opening line of Bradbury's novel is, "It was a pleasure to burn" (3). Firemen seemed to enjoy their status as book burners. Many even got an adrenaline rush out of burning books. Guy Montag, the protagonist and main character of the novel was a fireman who once felt starting the fires in people's homes was thrilling. In describing Montag's actions during one particular fire, Bradbury writes, "He wanted above all, like the old joke to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house" (3). This quote demonstrates the mentality of the firemen an d the opinion of the government. Books are evil in t... ...in restrictions are needed. Pornography should not be available to children. I do not have a problem with parental advisory labels on music. However, putting a ban on all books is a very scary proposition. Bradbury's novel does not come close to describing how miserable this world would become. Everybody in this world depends on books whether or not they are literate. It can be said that we get most of our morals and values from books. These morals are found in books such as the Bible, Aesop's Fables, and sometimes even the trashy romance novels that women tend to love. Without books, the world could be explained in one word, educated. An uneducated world is a miserable world full of fighting and conflict. An uneducated world is a world at constant war. A world with out books is a dystopian world. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine Books, 1953.