Censorship In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Every government has some degree of censorship. Censorship is necessary in order to keep citizens safe and have a successful society. However, too much censorship can have the opposite effect and lead to a lack of knowledge, freedom, and individualism among citizens. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel that demonstrates this idea. The characters live in a world in which all books are banned in order for everyone to be “happy”. Additionally, everything is quickly moving so people do not have time to think and realize the imperfections in the world. The use of dialogue in the novel highlights the important details about censorship in the main character, Montag’s, interactions with others. Overall, in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by: Ray Bradbury the most important systemic issue is censorship. Towards the

The first interaction is with Mildred. Montag has just gotten back home from the fire station where he witnessed a woman lite herself on fire with a kitchen match. He is lying in bed, questioning society, when he wonders to Mildred, “‘When did we meet? And where?’ ‘When did we meet for what?’ ‘I mean-originally.’ He knew she must be frowning in the dark. He clarified it. ‘The first time we ever met, where was it, and when?’ ‘Why, it was at-’ She stopped. ‘I don’t know,’ she said” (Bradbury 40). Notice how Bradbury could have just used description to describe the moment, but instead uses dialogue. This choice of technique contributes to bringing the moment alive and demonstrates to the reader how distant Mildred and Montag have become. Furthermore, Mildred is closer to her television screens or so called “Family” while Montag is just simply unhappy. This shows how there is so much censorship in this society that not only are people clueless about the truth, and the history of books but people, such as Mildred, have begun to forget their own lives, and feelings. People are like plain vanilla. Later on in