Martinez 1

Karina Martinez
Professor Griffith
English 113B- 11:00 AM MW
4 May 2016
Knowledge
In both novels Fahrenheit 451 and Oryx and Crake follows under the theme of
knowledge. In Fahrenheit 451 people are not allowed to read any kinds of books, if they get
caught reading any kind of literatures they make sure that the firefighters burn the book and burn
the houses down as well. Instead of the firefighters putting down fires they make the fires
happen. In Fahrenheit 451 people dont gain the knowledge because they are not capable to read
literatures due to what the government says. In the novel Oryx and Crake, the knowledge of what
the main character has is being a good scientist that creates a pill. The pill that Crake invented
was to help people from aging, thats what he invented with his great knowledge. But Jimmy is
the one in the story that doesnt have the knowledge in to being a scientist. Knowledge is an
important thing in society because without having some knowledge in you, people would not
have nothing to learn about and they wont learn any skills.
The law has prohibited for people to read any kind of books in Fahrenheit 451. Instead of
reading the books and getting some knowledge by reading novels and different kinds of literature
the firefighters burn the books. Clarisse McClellan was walking down the streets with Montag,
they were having a conversation late at night while he walked her back to her house. Then
Clarisse asked him a question about the books, Do you ever read any of the books you burn?
He laughed. Thats against the law! (Bradbury 5). Clarisse didnt have a clue that they werent
allowed to read the books before asking Montag that question. Montag knew reading the books

Martinez 2

before burning them up to ashes would get him into trouble. It could put him in steak of losing
everything he has like his job and his house. Its not fair that its against the law to read books
because how are schools going to teach the students, when they cant read literatures. How are
they going to learn from other resource that may be around them?
Knowledge is a big key to the world, without knowledge people wouldnt learn as much.
Reading is important because thats how people learn, without reading people would basically
not get nowhere because now in days you have to do nothing but reading to get things done.
Books is the main recourse you can get, there's many books out there that can be used for many
different ways. The first way how people learn to read is from books, without books people
wouldnt be able to read or to gain any knowledge. People should be able to pick up a books and
have the freedom to read it as long as they want and as many times as they want. I dont think
that anybody should stop someone from reading a book that calls their attention. From my
experience I think reading is very important, specially to kids now in days. Now, when you go
out all you see is kids on there electronic devices in their hands. Instead of seeing them sitting
down and reading a book gaining some knowledge their just on the devices not learning much
stuff.
Montag wasnt happy on going to work and do what he had to do. He was refusing to go
to work he felt very unhappy and that he was mad but Montag didnt know the reason why he
had all those emotions going on. It can be the fact that he had to burn books and not be able to
read them or not allowing others to read the books. He was going to the point where he wanted to
read books. I might even start reading book. Theyd put you in jail, wouldnt they? She
looked at him as if he were behind the glass wall (Bradbury 62). Even though his mind was
running on to reading the books instead of burning them he knew that it wasnt a good idea. He

Martinez 3

knew just by getting those books it would put him in a bad situation that he wouldnt like to be
in. Mildred, Montags wife even knew that, that idea of him just reading the books was a bad
idea because that was him breaking the law and it could have send him to jail and be put away.
Reading books is no crime at all. Matter of fact reading is a good idea to do and its healthy.
In the novel Oryx and Crake, one of the characters Crake was very good in science, he
always scored good in science and he was in to a good science program after he graduated high
school. On the other had Snowman known as Jimmy wasnt so good in science he would always
score low in that category. But his dad was a good scientist as well as his mom she was in the
biology department. Jimmy didnt get the knowledge in science like his dad and mom had.
Jimmys dad had a job but then he got another one and he continued working at the new job he
got. Jimmys dad was always working on experiments; he had been involved of creating a skin
related technology that would replace old skin with new skin. What this experiment was doing
was creating from people to age stay young for a longer time of period.
Jimmys mother was successful as well she had the knowledge to do some studies in her
old job. His mother had worked for OrganInc Farms and his father worked there as well
working in the science field as well. Jimmys mother and father had the knowledge to know how
to work in the science department.
theyd both worked at the same Compound, on the same project. His mother was a
microbiologist: it had been her job to study the proteins of the bioforms unhealthy to
pigoons, and to modify their receptors in such a way that they could not bond with the
receptors on pigoon cells, or else to develop drugs that would act as blockers (Atwood
29).

Martinez 4

Jimmys parents had the knowledge, was taught to learn skills in the science department, which
what Jimmy didnt have in him. He didnt have the skills to do so good in science like his parents
had. Knowing how to investigate objects in science can be hard to learn all at once. According to
Jimmys parents science and microbiologist is an essay field to be in and to do. Learning
science can be difficult but it may not be put in place for everyone to learn or to do for living.
As much as Jimmy tried to have the knowledge of science it wouldnt stick to him, for
some reason science wasnt made for him to do. Even though anything Jimmy would do it wasnt
good enough for his parents. Nothing Jimmy done wouldnt make them happy unless its what
his parents want him to do which is study in science.
Nothing he could achieve would ever be the right idea, or enough. By OrganIncs mathand-chem-and-applied-bio yardstick he must have seemed dull normal: maybe that was
why his father stopped telling him he could do much better if hed only try, and switched
to doling out secretly disappointed praise, as if Jimmy had a brain injury (Atwood 50).
To Jimmys parents there not that proud of their son even though he has tried math, chemistry,
and bio but it seemed like none of those categorys were for him. Even though he signed up for
those three categorys they were not made for him in the future because he wouldnt get the best
scores that he should have got from the start. As much as Jimmy tried and failed and he
continued to try but failed, his father had finally given up on him and didnt push him anymore
neither did his mom she stopped as well. Throughout the whole process of pushing Jimmy and
him trying his parents were still disappointed of him, his strength of trying to do what his parents
wanted for him didnt satisfied them enough.
Its always good for the parents to be proud of what their children do no matter what
happens. I strongly disagree with Jimmys parents due to the fact that they were never proud of

Martinez 5

their son for what he tried to accomplish for them in order to keep them from not being happy.
Its always good for the children to know that their parents or parent is proud of what they do to
succeed in life. Theres never in doubt that children could accomplish what their parents want
them to do because sometimes it is impossible to do so. What the parents dream for their children
is to have knowledge it could happen in reality or may not happen because parents have different
skills from their children they cant be raised by having the same knowledge because its what the
children wants to have. They may want to learn something different from what the parents want
them to have knowledge in. But in other words it doesnt matter what kind of knowledge the
child has the parents should be happy and proud with what their decisions are because either way
there trying to become someone in the future nothing else should matter.
In conclusion, I think that in Fahrenheit 451 is not in favor of knowledge and in Oryx and
Crake they are in favor of knowledge. In Fahrenheit 451 theres really no knowledge because
books are banned to be picked up and be read. The government has the fire department to put
them in fire. In Oryx and Crake, the knowledge is being shown in a different way, Jimmys
parents want him to be a scientist just like them. But that doesnt happen in the form of way that
his parents want it. The Authors in these two novels are in different direction. But then again in
Oryx and Crake there forcing someone to do what they dont have the strongest skills in.
knowledge should be known in different ways, nobody shouldnt take the knowledge out of
someone when they already have for something else that they look forward on to doing beyond
there dreams. Also, knowledge shouldnt be taken away or hidden from people because without
some knowledge they dont have not skills in terms of learning new things that can make that
person happen for the future.

Martinez 6

Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake. Books: Anchor, 2004. Print.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.