The Issue of Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Censorship is something that is a huge deal in society today, everyone rambles on about freedom of speech vs. infringement of others rights However, as a society, the censorship of any material is both unjust and counterproductive if we want a more informed future, In 451, Bradbury shows how the censorship of material has lead to a culture of zombified sloths getting all their nutrients from a television While some of the ideas, like the burning of literature, may seem farfetched, it happens in everyday life without us even realizing it. School Districts have lists of books that are banned so that they don’t have to here complaints of some parents about how they conflict with their beliefs. One school district, during this time, was even burning copies of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Fiver All of this worrying of trying to please every minority that gets offended has lead to our generation being so soft skinned, that we can’t even take criticism, If we continue to censor as we have been, we will not be to far off from the future that Bradbury has warned us off Kurt Vonnegut wrote a letter to the school district that was throwing his books into an incinerator.

He tells the Director of the school district that he is insulted by the fact that they have gone so far as to have his books burned, He is most offended by the fact that the Chairman hasn’t even read his books, and yet he is deciding that they should be lit “If you would bother to read my books, to behave as educated persons would, you would learn that they are not sexy, and do not argue in favor of wildness of any kind They beg that people be kinder and more responsible than they often are.” Kurt asks at the very end of the paragraph something that ninety percent of the world no longer does, He asks the school board to keep an open mind, to, “Expose your children to all sorts of opinions and information” This is a lesson that people have been forgetting often in our day and age, People fight tooth and Nail on one side of the fence when they haven’t even examined the opposite side.

Today Politicians tell more blatant lies then ever, and politicians are also more afraid to work outside their own parties, lest they not be re- elected. Kurt warned us of this when he asked the school board to keep an open mind, but now it seems as if the whole world has theirs shut. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury explains perfectly why censorship is negatively affecting the world The Character Mildred, who is the main characters wife, sits in front of the TV, all day watching shows where the characters interact with her like Dora the Explorer does with children, they broadcast no important news, nothing educational, just sitcoms that the people of the world have become so immersed in they call the characters family members. Mildred has no drive to be anything more than this vegetable that sits in front of the TV, all day, She’s not dumb; she is a victim of the culture of the world. If Mildred did not have her face plastered to a screen 24/7, she might have even been able to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a poet. However, that’s not what society rewarded, society rewarded below-average IQ citizens whose only job was to not think.

Bradbury also covers why censorship is happening, people are to soft skinned, to easily offended by opinions. That is why books are made illegal in the story in the first place, as Captain Beatty says, “Let’s take up the minorities in our civilization The bigger the population, the more minorities. Don’t step on the toes of Dog lovers, cat lovers doctors, lawyers, merchants, chiefs, Mormons etc. ”Technology, mass exploitation and minority pressure did the trick.” (Bradbury 61) That‘s why the books stopped selling in the fictional world, because people stopped having opinions out of fear and so books just became vanillat There is a poem by William Stafford titled Burning a Book. In the poem, he says the only thing worse than a burned book is a thought that has not been written, “More disturbing than book ashes are whole libraries that no one got around to writing.” He says here that if people aren’t willing to share their opinions than nothing will change Fahrenheit definitely has some real world context, while we aren‘t as extreme with censorship; it still does exist throughout the world, and just like in Fahrenheit the government is not even needed to regulate it.

More people watch “Say yes to the dress” and “Here comes Honey BooBoo Child” than any of the news networkst People are happy with being ignorant to the world around them and from that point on it’s a vicious cycle of uneducated people reacting and making it so that nothing can get done A perfect example in current events is the riots caused by the Innocence of Muslims short film. Many of the rioters have not seen the film, and are only reacting because the government or another group of people told them that “The U5, published a film disgracing Mohammad!” Really of these people would view the film they would see It The US didn’t make the movie, a single guy did, 2‘ The acting and the effects are worse than a 10 year olds film he made for class, and 3. The movie doesn’t say anything extremely outrageous besides portraying Mohammad as a fool.

However, either because of the government blocking it orjust the not willingness of the rioters to view the film, they believe to be the biggest piece of Sacrilege out there, and yet they haven’t even seen it. Just like with Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. Censorship, in this day and age, can only lead to counter-productiveness. The willingness of people to not even want to know both sides of the story has held the world back for far too long. Only with the free flow of information and the consent of people who wish to learn and better the world will we succeed as a species, The world needs to turn off their screens, splash out the fires, and with enthusiasm read the whole story, and notjust the half they like.

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Farhenheit 45

Literary Analysis Could you ever imagine living in a world where books were not allowed, houses were fireproof, and firemen started fires instead of putting them out? Ray Bradbury created this dystopian society of backwards thinking in his novel Fahrenheit 451. When he wrote the book, during the Cold War, the United States was beginning to censor many things and his fear of what it would turn into inspired him to write this novel.

In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury overly exaggerates a future society from where the United States in the 1950’s was heading through loss of humanity from television and the theme of censorship by; yet, the symbol of rebirth detracts from the overall effect of exaggeration. In Fahrenheit 451 Mildred, Guy Montag’s wife, is a mindless human being. She has a television show that she calls her “family” and she insists on watching it every time it is on. For example when she is arguing with Montag about reading she says, “Books aren’t people. You read and I look all around but there isn’t anybody!…

Now my family is people. They tell me things: I laugh, they laugh! And the colors!… Why should I read? What for! ” (73;ch. 2). This quote illustrates the fact that all she does is sit around and believes to be interacting with people, when in fact she is just talking to a television show. When she wants another television installed she tells Montag “Its only two thousand dollars and I think you should consider me sometimes. If we had a fourth wall, why it’d just be like this room wasn’t ours at all, but all kinds of exotic people’s rooms” (20;ch. 1).

This line spoken by Mildred shows the reality of her mindless television show consuming her life and that she no longer thinks like a human being. Society’s goal in essentially hypnotizing its citizens was successful. Any person with sense such as Montag would know that it is outrageous to buy another screen when they cannot afford it. Mildred is a perfect example of a mindless person who allows the government to control her and thinks books are harmful. People like her make this society achieve its goals in censorship by burning books. In several cases the narrator is just as mindless as Mildred.

For example, the book burning process is supported when the book states, “You were simply cleaning up. Janitorial work essentially,” and “they pumped rooms full of [kerosene]” it is supporting the book burning process (37-38;ch. 1). These statements are guilty of sustaining book burning. Also when Captain Beatty, the chief of the fire department, says, “I want you to do this all by your lonesome, Montag. Not with kerosene and a match, but piecework, with a flame thrower. Your house your clean up,” it illustrates how he is asking a horrible task be done (116;ch. ). Burning books, the only source of unchanging knowledge, is a horrific task to take on. Burning books is like taking away freedom and because they are no longer physically available humans have to memorize them. When Montag gets caught for having books he runs away. He does such a good job that even the mechanical hound can’t find him. When the search for him is seeing no hope they kill a random man alone on the street. At this point Granger, one of the traveling book men, says to Montag, “Welcome back from the dead” (150;ch. 3).

This quote resembles the rebirth and final transformation of Montag from a regular in society. It detracts from the exaggeration because it symbolizes the life of memorizing books, which is the total opposite of eradicating them. Another time when rebirth is mentioned is when Granger tells Montag about the phoenix, “There was a silly damn bird called a phoenix back before Christ, every few hundred years he built a pyre and burnt himself up… but every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again” (163;ch. 3).

This example takes away from Bradbury’s effect because it symbolizes new life, which the government does not want; they want it to stay the way it is. Ray Bradbury creates a dystopian society in the novel by expressing loss of humanity, censorship, and rebirth through many examples in the book. Throughout Fahrenheit 451 everyone is trapped under the government’s supervision except for the ones who are smart enough to escape through the knowledge of books, such as Montag. During the entire novel Mildred is an example of an individual consumed by the government’s rules and loss of humanity from TV.

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Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope by Ray Bradbury I am fortunate enough to take a wonderful course that solely focused on Bradbury and his work, taught by his very own biographer. IVe never read as many stories written by a single author before. Even so, I can safely say that he is one of the best writers IVe ever read. “Kaleidoscope,” which appears in Bradburys remarkable short story collection, The Illustrated Man, is a story that literally sends you up into outer space. The name itself gives us an idea what this story is about. The bright colors and hanging views, it is an interesting story but not one that is so funny to read.

From the very beginning we know that these men are dead and everything that we are able to do is Just to watch them are dyeing without much hope. This is a kind of deeply philosophical and introspective tale, which is the hallmark of Bradburys writing. Through a simple accident in space, a rocket full of astronauts explodes and its crew is strewn across the emptiness, falling until their oxygen runs out, or until they collide with meteors or the Moon, or the Earth. Kaleidoscope” really is a plot-wise story. It begins after the ship has already exploded.

Most of the story takes place from a vantage point close to Hollis. He is the main character and the captain of the ship, a man who has hidden his emotions for most of his life. He went into space because it helped him to avoid women and he clearly envies those men who have better luck with women. He tries to convince himself that there is no difference between him and them but he knows that it isn’t true, they have memories, and he has only dreams. So we can see what he sees as the Earth’s gravity is pulling him in. And soon Hollis is alone, alone with his thought.

As these men hurtle toward their fate, feeling helpless in preventing their own deaths, they understandably bicker and find fault with each other. One of the men is the most calm about his death having lived a good life, however there’s a particularly compelling argument between Hollis and Lespere, an apparent womanizer who has actually no regrets, as I have already said, and who lets Hollis know about it. And Hollis retorts that it doesn’t matter, that heyre all meeting the same fate now, and Lespere’s “life experiences” doesn’t make his life any better than that of Hollis.

But, as Lespere explains, “l got my thoughts, I remember. ” On the one hand, a bleakly existentialist view is advanced by Hollis: in the end we all die alone and death renders everything before it pointless. While this may be philosophically sound, though that’s also debatable, it doesnt have the emotional resonance of Lespere’s assertion that one must live as fully as possible, in order to better accept death when the time comes. The fact that Lespere has led a orally reprehensible life, indulging in bigamy and gambling, for starters is Bradbury’s way of cautioning about the extremes of such an attitude.

In the end, there is a sense of redemption in Hollis becoming a star upon which a little boy makes a wish. What is really important is that the whole story is telling of the human condition. We as humans, by our nature, become incredibly reflective when we know the end is near. We might even become bitter and spiteful and lash out. Moreover, the question of how people face death is one that is well worth exploring, but in any ypes of tragedy on the Earth, that doesn’t kill people immediately means that they Bradbury gets around exactly that problem by setting “Kaleidoscope”.

The main theme, I believe, is that life is unpredictable and you should enjoy or relish every second of it because you never know when it will be taken from you or someone close to you. The many insignificant squabbles that we constantly encounter in life do not amount to a hill of beans. What is important is love! The beauty of this world is many faceted like a kaleidoscopes image but also very fragile and brief Just like each eparate image in the scope.

Some people realize this and live accordingly while others do not until the very end when it is too late. And yet, even with those memories, we’re still the same in those final moments before the end The story seems to take the side of memories, of having done something with one’s life while given the opportunity. Ultimately, “Kaleidoscope” is the kind of story which provides the opportunity for reflection. It’s the epitome of science-fiction, using hypothetical circumstances to take a deeper look at the human condition.

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You’re Not Important. You’re Not Anything

You’re not important. You’re not anything. ” Granger is talking about how utterly insignificant Montag, and all human beings for that matter, are in the long scheme of time. He continues by saying: “But even when we had the books on hand, a long time ago, we didn’t use what we got out of them. We went right on insulting the dead. We went right on spitting in the graves of all the poor ones who died before us. ” Quite evidently, Granger is remarking on how important it is to relish the little moment your life consists of, to continually try throughout your life to make a withstanding impact.

More importantly, he draws on how, in recent times, the members of society have become conceited and complacent, assuming there is nothing more to life than what surrounds them, life’s true meaning belittled by the anti-intellectual vision of the government. It is through this manifest that Granger divulges the major themes of the novel, showing not only that life is a constant cyclic process, rather, how important it is that we recognize the position of literature in our social development. As we will explore, Granger acts as the hallmark for part three, and ultimately the underlying messages of the book.

Moreover, much like seeks to impart on the reader, Granger (‘Modern Day Moses’), hopes to guide his group of literary disciples toward a promised land of free thought, alleviating the Dark Age and creating a new spark of intellectualism. This can be extended further, one could indeed say that Granger, remarking on how insignificant Montag is in the grand scheme of time and evolutionary expanse, is also saying that: on his own Montag isn’t much, but with the collective power of the group, the impact could be tremendous, a message quite similar to Bradbury’s.

Throughout the novel we see Clarisse, then Montag, and then Faber, all try to create a humanistic spark within society, to change the minds of those who cannot see. However, despite their attempts, it is only when there is collective movement, that we see change. Bradbury is not saying that the individual is utterly useless when it comes to societal change, more so, if we want to avoid potential calamity within the social advancement of society, we too, must act collectively.

Granger introduces cyclically regenerated mythological creature, the Phoenix, which becomes an enormously important literary tool for one of the underling messages of the novel. Bradbury uses the Phoenix to describe how its regenerative cycle is eerily similar to the ’swinging cycles’ of society. Just as the Phoenix destroys itself, so does mankind. From destruction to peace, despair to rejoice, society inevitably falls into a pendulum like cycle. Our ruinous actions consistently, much like the Phoenix; result in the destruction of our societal being.

Then, the cycle swings back and new life is found, at least until our destructive habits once again reign. Bradbury, through the voice of Granger is invariably trying to warn us of this very cycle, armed with this knowledge mankind has the ability to prevent future calamity, to stop the cycle at its highest point. We differ from the Phoenix: “We know the damn silly thing we just did. ” At this stage of the book, Montag is yet to realise the importance, position of influence, and subsequent responsibility he holds, or, the books hold.

Granger acts as the flame for Montag, showing him his importance, showing him how, in the pendulum of time, he is insignificant. More importantly, that it is he who can freeze such a motion, and help society, mankind and all, prevent self-destruction. Granger sets the final tone for the novel, being one of the final voices; he ultimately decides how the reader comes away from their reading. Through his remarks on society’s cycle of self-destruction, and one’s duty to make an imprint on future generations, Granger provides a summarised segment of the themes and motifs of the entire novel.

Perhaps one of these segments one not often recognised; the mirror factory metaphor. Toward the end of the novel Granger remarks, “Come on now, we’re going to go build a mirror factory first and put out nothing but mirrors for the next year and take a long look in them. ” To be able to change the complacency and destructive attitudes of society, they need a reflection of what they have done, to recognise who they have become. In stark contrast to the parlour walls , where one sees a human they want to be, instead of one they already are, the mirror will show what they are, allowing them to decide for themselves.

It consolidates the process for self-reflection, helping society to rebuild, by first recognising their mistakes. Further, to an extent he also sets the tone for Bradbury’s final message: how are we to feel about the future, Hopeful? Depressed? Confused? It is Granger who acts as the cohesion for the themes and underlying messages of Bradbury and that of the entire novel. His outlook, hopeful: “The wonderful thing about man… [Is]…he never gets so discouraged…that he gives up…He knows very well it is mportant and worth the doing. ” Withal, through his remark “You’re not important. You’re not anything”, Granger not only poses a message to Montag, showing him how to relight society by creating a collective power to combat past destruction. Additionally, through the continuation of his speech, including his Phoenix motif, comments on the cyclical process of society and metaphorical use of mirrors, helps to solidify the underlying themes of the novel, and to a greater extent, Bradbury’s personal manifestation.

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Fahrenheit 451 & Gattaca Comparative Study

Throughout time Science Fiction writers have produced their work, using the concept of dystopia as a method to express their outlook and opinion on the issues within their existing societies, in which they are writing from. The writer delivers a message to the audience, educating them about the current contextual concerns and the possibility of the dystopias that are developed as a result. This is demonstrated in the novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury and the film Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol.

Both of these composers illustrate their fears for the fate of their society through the structural and language features of their texts. Ray Bradbury explores the value of using knowledge and independent thinking rather than blindly following the ‘rules’, without a second thought or question. Andrew Niccol uses the reality of scientific methods, addressing the responder of the direction society is heading in and the fatal result of the future if we were to mess with the balance of nature. Like all texts, Fahrenheit 451 is a product of its time.

It was published in the early 1950s, during a time recovering from World War II and facing the Cold War, which caused key contextual concerns of this period. During the McCarthy era, the rise of the mass media contributed to the themes and ideas explored by Bradbury’s dystopian fiction novel. These ideas include the danger of censorship, knowledge vs. ignorance and the role of technology which are explored in a world where people are so busy that they do not stop to think or notice beauty or to really communicate with the people around them.

This is a world where the media feeds the minds of numbed masses whose highest goal is happiness; a goal that persistently eludes them. Although Gattaca was created many years afterwards, Andrew Niccol’s futuristic film also explores the contextual concerns within his present society; the twenty-first century. Niccol looks at the role of science and technology and the concerns that can come from being too dependent upon these. Gattaca provides us with a dystopic vision of the not-too-distant future if we are to continue to strive for perfection.

He challenges our concept on what it is to be an individual human being and what extent we are willing to go to before our morals and ethics are forgotten. This is shown in the film through ideas such as destiny vs. free will, systematic discrimination and the role of nature and technology. A key concern that Bradbury has about the future that is directly related to context is the danger of censorship. The Nazi book burnings in Germany in 1933 had been widely publicised after World War II. These book burnings became a major symbol of the repression that followed in Nazi Germany.

The importance of literature and the freedom to read and write was a central concern of liberal-minded people during the 1950s, and this thought was common to Bradbury. In Fahrenheit 451, society has evolved to such and extreme that 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. A major example of censorship is book burning, which with Bradbury’s use of symbolism reinforces the ideas of anti-censorship.

Fire is used symbolically to identify the issues of censorship and represents the destruction of books, people and society. Censorship in the world consists of book burning, manipulative parlor families, and the intolerance of those who attempt to be an individual. Bradbury’s use of symbolism reinforces the ideas of anti-censorship. Fire is used symbol of censorship as it represents the destruction of books, of people, and of society, however is used to cover up all things that the firemen’s propaganda does not enforce.

The first sentence of the novel introduces the role of fire saying “It was a pleasure to burn. It was a pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed”. Obviously fire is a symbol of destruction, but in this quote fire has multiple functions; it destroys the book in one sense, but in another it changes the book and even creates something new. Captain Beatty wants to use fire to cleanse the world of knowledge, a thing that he believes is evil. He wants to use fire to erase people’s memories and problems. He believes that fire can destroy anything and make problems disappear.

When he explains that cremation is important to make people forget the dead, he says that they should “Forget them. Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean”. He thinks that the only way to have a peacefully and happy society is to make people forget the past and ignore or forget anything that they do not like. This reflects back to the society after WWII and the motives of the Nazis – removing thoughts and the past will result in peace and happiness. Bradbury also serves to warn us of the danger of ignorance in this futuristic dystopia.

This again is reflective of the Nazi book burnings and the idea of people leaving behind knowledge and becoming ‘blissfully’ ignorant of the past. In Fahrenheit 451 the fireman’s responsibility is to destroy knowledge and promote ignorance in order to ensure equality. Ignorance, however, promotes suicide, poor decisions, and empty lives. When Beatty discovers Montag’s hidden collection of books, he explains that all firemen become curious of books, and may have time to explore them for a short time before disposing of them.

He then tells Montag about the state of the world: people are made content by their lack of knowledge. Those who truly know the world are unhappy, while those who are ignorant of it have a false sense of happiness. From this moment, Montag is given the choice of conforming and living an artificial but happy life, or seeking knowledge and bearing the pain that accompanies it. In the novel, when Captain Beatty mentions the history of fire fighting and the history of books.

He says, “Classics cut to fit fifteen-minute radio shows, then cut again to fill a two-minute book column, winding up at last as a ten-or-twelve-line dictionary resume. ” The use of a hyperbole in this quote exaggerates to make a point of how really short they are to him or compared to what they used to be, displaying the ignorance towards knowledge and the past. Losing touch with nature and becoming reliant on technology is a concern that Bradbury forces us to examine in Fahrenheit 451.

Bradbury uses personification to demonstrate this idea, describing technological equipment as animals and giving them human characteristics. “The Mechanical Hound slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live in its gently humming, gently vibrating, softly illuminated kennel back in a dark corner of the firehouse. ” This quote is a pure example of personification, where the mechanical hound, a mere machine, is described as having a personality and behaviours similar to that of a human being. Also, this quote can be expressed as an irony to the people in the society.

Another example of the being too reliant on technology is the palor walls and the people of Fahrenheit 451 spend most of their time consumed by the information they are being fed, losing touch with the outside world, or nature and becoming completely dependent on technology. Using personification once again, Bradbury defines the machine used to ‘clean out’ his wife, Mildred as a “black cobra down an echoing well looking for all the old water and the old time gathered there”, once again refer to a machine as an animal. The way he writes “This machine pumped all of the blood from the body and replaced it with fresh blood and serum,” indirectly xplains the emptiness of the people’s souls in the society. This machine is pumping Mildred’s blood and we can say that Mildred is the ‘representative’ of the society. In this line, it states that the machine can just replace the blood with new one, meaning that there’s nothing precious in Mildred’s soul. Her life is just full of nothingness, nothing to hide and nothing to lose. Technology has stripped society of its personality and identity. Niccol too explores the role of nature and technology in the futuristic dystopia he has created in Gattaca.

He forces the responder to question the dangers of uncontrolled technology. In the ‘not-to-distant future’, the world of Gattaca is where genetic engineering has become the normal approach to procreation. Overall the setting of the film is quite severe and uncluttered and is dominated by people and symbolic locations. This sterile and cold society of elitist collaborations like Gattaca promotes competition, isolation and discrimination. This is something that is dangerous to individuals and relationships and shows an arrogant belief to the world of science.

The film begins with the quote “Consider Gods handwork: who can straighten what he has made crooked” from Ecclesiastes 7:13, followed by the quote “I not only think that we will tamper with Mother Nature, I think Mother Nature wants us to” from Willard, then cuts to extreme close ups of Vincent exfoliating, removing fingernails, hair, skin fragments and eyelashes. Niccol very intricately places the two quotes one after the other to force the responder to think about what being human truly is and how far is it before we’re ‘playing god’. This is extremely relevant to today’s society, as we continue to tamper with Mother Nature.

The use of the extreme close-up of the fragments reminds the audience of the idea of being ‘put under the microscope’ reflects society’s obsession with defining people by their genetic ‘background’ and further magnifies the importance of genetic material. The role of human relationships is important to Niccol in his film Gattaca. He forces us to understand the concept of systematic discrimination. People are no longer discriminated against by race, personality, or religion, but are judged only by the superiority of their genetic code, as stated “We now have discrimination down to a science”.

Visual metaphors in the film reinforce this concept. Various motifs throughout the film, such as glass and water, which illustrate the invisible walls Vincent is rebelling against. These motifs are seen in the film in separate scenes; one when Vincent is looking into Gattaca through the glass, when he is still a janitor, and another is shown in the swimming scene, with Anton becoming a symbol of the society who rejects Vincent. The continuously daunting identity checks throughout the movie reinforce the oppressive and dystopic society and the concerns presented further display the idea of discrimination.

Although the discrimination is not one that we have in this current society, the amount of discrimination we have now builds concerns that this could be a possible path for the future. Furthermore, a similar concern to that which has been raised in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is the idea of conformity versus the individual. This can connected to the idea of destiny versus freewill. Vincent chooses to ignore his destiny and rebel against what is considered to be ‘normal’ in order to reach his dreams. Gattaca shows us that our destiny cannot be mapped out using our genetic code.

In the beginning of the movie the idea of destiny seems to overshadow freewill. This is shown when Vincent’s ‘destiny’ is supposedly mapped out at the moment of his birth, being born with a 99% chance of a heart attack, his father realising this did not give him his name as he did not deem him worthy. Despite Vincent’s life being apparently planned for him, “there is no gene for the human spirit,” and this is shown when Vincent beats his ‘perfect’ brother in two rounds of the game ‘chicken’. The swimming scene contains another form of symbolism with the colours the two brothers are wearing.

The two brothers wear contrasting colours when racing. Vincent is wearing white, symbolising purity whilst his brother, wearing black represents altercations, and something that has been tampered with. When his brother asks how he could possibly have beaten him, Vincent replies “This is how I did it, Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back”. This quote further supports the concept of free will vs. destiny and that our free will and our determination are what ultimately determine the path our life will take.

Therefore, by taking a step back and examining the contextual concerns of the time that texts were written in, allows us to clearly see the issues and values the composers of texts are trying to create. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 the major value he is trying to send is that literature is much more important than technology and expresses to us his concerns for control of thoughts and the limit of knowledge one is permitted. Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca informs the audience of the values of individual identities and surpassing one’s boundaries. He allows us to understand the obsession with being perfect can be an unwarranted threat.

Both these writers of Science Fiction address to their audience of the unnecessary extremes that our world could lead to if we do not understand what our boundaries are. The context and techniques of these two medians have supported the statement that Science Fiction writers create dystopias to communicate their concerns about society and its future. They use these techniques to underline what society would be like if a totalitarian regime is enforced on society, where individual thought is discouraged and propaganda is fed to the masses in order to control society.

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Dystopia in Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 Essay A dystopia is defined as a community or a society that is undesirable or frightening in some important way. There have been many novels written about such societies, such as 1984 by George Orwell, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 describes a dystopian society in which books are outlawed and technology is prevalent. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury conveys a significant message through the contrasting tones he uses to describe Clarisse and Mildred.

Bradbury uses a reverent, respectful tone to describe Clarisse, when Guy Montag sees her for the first time in the street as he walks home from work (3). The diction “slender” and “milk-white” portrays that Clarisse is young and innocent. These words create this feeling because one would normally associate slimness and a clear complexion with youth. The personification used in “gentle hunger” and “tireless curiosity” reveal the fact that Clarisse is inquisitive to the reader.

The use of “gentle” and “tireless” allow the reader to see that Clarisse has a hunger for knowledge. The imagery “sliding walk” and “dress was white” creates an image of Clarisse’s demeanor and general appearance in the reader’s mind. Using these words also gives the reader the sense that Clarisse is pure, like an angel, because a sliding walk and white garments are associated with angels. Bradbury’s praising and positive tone shows that he strongly identifies with her personality.

In contrast to the tone he uses when describing Clarisse, Bradbury uses a dull, monotonous tone to talk about Mildred when Guy Montag sees her as he walks into their bedroom shortly after his encounter with Clarisse (11). The metaphor “felt no rain” and “felt no shadow” compares rain and shadow to the feelings that Mildred does not feel. With this metaphor, Bradbury reveals to the reader that Mildred is apathetic, unfeeling. The diction “tamped-shut ears” and “ears all glass” suggests to the reader that Mildred is oblivious to her surroundings.

These words create the effect that Mildred does not see and hear what is going around in front of her. The simile “like a snow-covered island” compares Mildred’s face to a snow-covered island. This simile leaves the reader with the impression that Mildred’s face is pale, almost lifeless. Bradbury’s apathetic, negative tone shows that he does not approve of Mildred’s obliviousness and lifelessness. Bradbury uses an admiring, awed tone to describe Clarisse when Guy Montag is remembering his encounter with Clarisse (8).

The simile “face like the dial of a small clock” compares Clarisse’s face with the dial of a small clock. Bradbury goes on to describe the clock as the type giving off light in the darkness in the middle of the night. This comparison conveys the idea that Clarisse represents good early on in the book. The simile “how like a mirror too, her face” emphasizes the fact that Clarisse’s demeanor in general makes Montag reflect on his actions, thoughts, and words. Bradbury is trying to relay the message that Clarisse has the type of personality that makes other people reflect upon themselves.

The simile “like the eager watcher of a marionette show” compares Clarisse to an eager watcher of a marionette show through a simile. This simile demonstrates how perceptive Clarisse is. Bradbury’s tone of disbelief and awe shows his admiration of Clarisse’s character. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses contrasting tones towards Clarisse and Mildred in order to convey his opinion that one should not blindly the beliefs that are presented to them. Bradbury strongly believes that we should constantly question the world around us.

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Farenheit 451 Reflection

Reflection #1 Cipriano Echavarria Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Pg. 72 “You can’t build a house without nails and wood. If you don’t want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war”. (72) Censorship has stroked the world for many decades; fearful governments have been hiding information or modifying it to its citizens. Why? Why are governments afraid of the knowledge of their people?

Knowledge is power, and throughout history we’ve seen how man is always in search for more knowledge, curious on finding explanations to unanswered questions and on analyzing both sides to a question. Knowledge of people has caused many problems to world governments, many revolutions and wars have started due to the fact that citizens have encountered a new form of thinking. Fahrenheit 451 portrays a futuristic society in which the government has censored everything, from books to newspapers and from T.

V shows to Radio shows. This society never experiments conflict or disagreement because everybody is taught the same things and therefore think the same way. This has made me think on which is actually the best way to rule a society. Is it the way most countries in the world implement, an uncensored and free-thinking way, were due to the different opinions and thoughts many conflicts are created which lead to death, torture and cruelty. Or is it the way shown in the book, were everybody is thought to think the same way.

I arrived to a conclusion and basing myself on the Human Rights Declaration, people should be free on what information they want to know and on how they want to think, but they must be taught to respect differences, and to be tolerant in order to avoid conflict. Reflection #2 Cipriano Echavarria Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Pg. 181 I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot while reading this book. I’ve never liked fiction or realistic-fiction books but I’ve got to admit that this book will make me think twice whenever I’ll have to choose between a fiction and a non-fiction book.

The author did a really god job on creating a Futuristic place were many things were associated to reality but had different roles. For example, firemen instead of having to extinguish fire had to create fires which burned books. This makes you think about reality and ask yourself questions about how would society be if roles were inverted, if firemen instead of extinguishing fires created them, if policemen instead of providing security against thefts and murders would attack you, if drugs were legal etc.

The book not only provided an interesting perspective on how would a society be if everyone thought the same way but it also gave many lectures about love and friendship. It showed how Montag (main character) didn’t love his wife and that even though he pretended and tried to be happy with her and tried to love her wasn’t able to do it. This made me think about the importance of love, and of never trying to trick your feelings on trying to make them love a person who you really don’t, it also made me think (as harsh as it could sound) if I really loved my girlfriend or if she was just a person who physically and mentally attracted me.

Finally the author did a great job in writing many quotes that relates to everyday situations, one of the quotes that I most liked and related to was: “We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at least one which makes the heart run over. ” The author used this quote to explain Montags feelings towards a girl named Clarisse, which after a short time being friends Montag started to love.

This quote extremely relates to a situation I experienced in the past, my best friend and I let our hearts “run over” and after many years of being friends we fell in love. Fahrenheit has been probably the book from which I’ve most learned about and the one with I could relate the most; it’s my new favorite book. It’s curious how things in life just arrive in the perfect moment. A week ago I was in the UN model of Barranquilla discussing Extrajudicial Executions and censorship done by the government; coincidentally Fahrenheit 451 is based on different types of Extrajudicial Executions and censorship done by the government.

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