Fahrenheit 451 And Westside: A Comparative Analysis

Imagine a world where there are no books. In this world everyone just does what they are told and does not think. This is the world in which Fahrenheit 451 takes place. Fahrenheit 451 and Westside Christian High School (Westside) have distinct views on the purpose of education, and ultimately what it means to be human. In the book Fahrenheit 451 kids go to school, but the purpose is only to fill them with facts, not teach give them knowledge to improve their lives. People think they know information, but it is only useless facts. The book says on page 64-65, “Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of ‘facts’ they feel stuffed, but absolutely ‘brilliant’ with information. Then they’ll feel they’re thinking,

Teachers do not only teach their pupils math, science, history and other facts, but these educators teach them how to think and solve problems in order to develop the students’ character. Westside says in their vision statement that “They (students) are inspired and equipped to excel academically, think critically, and understand that what they learn is a gift to be used for the sake of others.” That sums up what the teachers at Westside are trying to do: have students think about the big picture. A big aspect of being human is being able to think, reason and make choices based on one’s learning. In 1947 Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech in which he said “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” The point of school is not just to memorize facts, but to build character and learn from both the mistakes and successes of others. This is very close to Westside’s view on school, but very different from Fahrenheit 451’s perspective on education, where they do not care about the