Farenheit 451 is an intriguing novel, which I believe I will read right after 1984, since both novels have an element of irony in them.
The way that Farenheit 451 is ironic is because the protagonist, Montag, is a fireman. But not a normal type of fireman that we're accustomed with nowadays; he's a fireman that starts fires, rather than extinguishes them. The reason behind that is because he, and other firemen like him, start fires in order to burn any literature that's present in their society, due to the fact that reading is illegal.
During the first chapter, Montag, meets a 'strange' seventeen-year-old girl by the name of Clarisse. She asks him questions which he percieves as peculiar, questions such as, 'Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of started them?' (pg. 8, Bradbury). Which is a question that Montag immediatly diseregards such an answer to, because of believing that the houses in the past, just like the ones in their world were fireproof. Before the two of them parted after their discussion, Clarisse asked Montag a crucial question- if he's happy. Which left Montag perplexed. After Clarisse first adressed the question to him he simply thought to himself that he was surely happy, but it was only after he arrived home, that he acknowledged the fact that his state of happiness was merely a mask that he wore. He did so in order to cover up the fact that led an empty life throughout his day at work, and when ariving home to his wife.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Your impression of Fareheit 451 is really enticing, especially because of the last question, the one where Clarisse asks him if he's happy. It's a type of question that makes one predict the answer he might say and why you'd think so.
I like how you picked Dystopian novels instead of Mystery novels that most people would do. (Probably because the library is filled with mystery novels) It shows that you actually took the time to look through different types books.
I thought that picking only Mystery novels would've been far too cliche.Because, like you've stated,the library is filled with such books, and anyone could get a hold of four Mystery books that would make an enjoyable read in a matter of minutes.
It sounds like you are really enjoying this novel.
I also find Farenheit 451 to have a tantalizing subject matter. Although I have never read it, it is a novel I am just itching to read.
Just imagine, a world where books, the very source of knowledge and power, are destroyed and burnt to a crisp... ahh scary!
I know, that's exactly what made me interested in reading this novel: the fact that not only were the books being destroyed, but the protagonist, a fireman, which destroyed them took such joy and pride in doing so.
And afterall, what better way is there to control people than to take away the only source of knowledge? By taking books away people are left with no other means of expanding their knowledge.
Post a Comment