Desire In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

In Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury explores the ideas of longing and desire, two emotions driven by one thing hope. He discusses longing, an eager restless feeling, a feeling of no hope for anything at all but wanting something so bad that it sparks a blazing desire. Desire is overwhelming hope leading to action. Desire is like a flame engulfing anything it can to grow to finally take what it truly wants. Montag experiences longing hopelessly for a sense of individuality and love. He feels a more profound desire for reality in a world engulfed in fakeness, it also explores a desire for raw knowledge accomplished through books
In Ray bradburys Fahrenheit 451, the character Montag experiences intense longing for a sense of individuality, in a world

In a world where everyone is the exact same Montag longs to feel like his own person. When all else is lost your identity is what you can hold on to. The person you know you are and the person that you've built yourself to be. However, Montag feels drowned in the sea of society where one man is just the same as another. There is great importance in identity and when that is lost so is hope and happiness. Sarah Newton stated: “Unfortunately, society encourages us all to look and act a certain way…. This can make it hard to stay true to you - but if you’re not, your happiness will suffer” (Newton). This quote highlights the importance of being yourself although society tells you not to be. The society shown in the book encourages uniformity, frowning upon uniqueness. She explains that in order to truly be happy and remain happy you have to be true to yourself. Montag longs for a sense of uniqueness however granger tells him everyone is a blend of stories and words that become lost in a larger book: “We are all bits and pieces of history and literature and law Byron, Tom Paine,

Montag feels a strong desire to increase his intelligence and go beyond what he is capable of. However, he can't do this when the recourses for knowledge are suppressed. In Fahrenheit 451 society is devoured by censorship. Books are vanquished. However readers corner states: “Reading grows the mind and is essential for all to do in order to increase intellectual capacity”. Without books, the level of intellect Montag wants to achieve won't be possible. Books provide knowledge by telling the stories of those before us. They help us form deeper understandings. Montag says: " I'm not thinking I'm just doing like I'm told like always you said get the money and come right back I don't think of it that way " (91). Montag shows his displeasure and not thinking he's upset because it is just like every other time. He's never challenged and never has to think deeply. Montag also says: " I don't know what it is you want to know but I want to know it too " (14). Montag shows all throughout the book his desires for knowledge and curiosity. Montag desires a deeper intelligence and the resources to be able to grow it. However, how can you grow intelligence when there's nothing to challenge your mind? The censorship in society causes citizens to lose intelligence instead of gaining it. Through books, true intelligence can be found but in the time they live