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Ethan Chan
Mr. Arnold
English 10 Honor
23 August 2013
Censorship and Ignorance
Ray Bradbury expresses several themes throughout Fahrenheit
451. One such theme includes censoring or outlawing literature
from all aspects of society creates a very stupid, ignorant, and
uninformed population. The author shows and develops this theme
by displaying how much Guys wife believed what she watched on
the television, the woman who refused to leave her burning home
full of books, and how Mildred eventually decides to betray Guy
Montag.
First of all, in the story, Guys wife, Mildred seemingly
has only one sole reason to exist: to represent the average
citizen. Ray Bradbury writes her as an ignorant character who
seemingly believes everything her government feeds her through a
straw. Other than that, Mildred only speaks to seep doubt into
Montags mind. She also owns a room that has three massive TV
walls where she spends almost all of her time watching White
Clown and other mindless garbage. Her lack of a reason to pursue
self betterment displays the amount of motivation this
futuristic society places upon normal citizens. She shows her
somewhat robotic ignorance when she ran forward, seized a book
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and ran toward the kitchen incinerator (63). Before even
thinking or letting Montag explain, she does just what the
government programs her to do: burn all books.
Secondly, Montags new fiery rebellious beliefs are blown
open when he witnesses a woman who would rather die with her
vast collection of books than live another day without them.
Beatty orders his men to burn the building and Guy stares in
disbelief as his coworkers continue this heinous crime without a
second word. While the old lady stood on the porch in front of
the house full of kerosene the woman stood motionless. Beatty
flicked his finger to spark the kerosene (37). Beatty burning a
woman who committed such a minute crime shows that the
government does not seem to care about the people who break
these ridiculous laws, just as long as the general public
forgets all about them. They censor any book and anyone who
thinks differently, going as far as burning a whole house down,
just to make an example of it.
Finally, Guy gets betrayed by his own wife! For some
reason, Mildred decides to disregard her own husbands judgment
and tattle on his secret. It seems so surreal and redundant that
Guy asks, Was it my wife that turned in the alarm? Beatty
nodded (111). Mildred knows the consequences of harboring
books, but believes in honesty to her government and having her
house burned down than to have books hidden in her garden. This
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displays the amount of loyalty and control the government has on
its people, just by censoring out reason for personal judgment.
The light of knowledge naturally draws and empowers human
beings. Deprive them of that knowledge and they grow stupid,
ignorant, and mindless. The government takes advantage of their
naivety and Ray displays Mildred as a prime example. Because of
this central subject in the novel, the censoring or outlawing
literature from all aspects of society creates a very stupid,
ignorant, and uninformed population presents a well developed
theme.