Fahrenheit 451 Rhetorical Analysis

Landon Bolotte

In”Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury uses the literacy of irony to shape the theme that books are controversial and are an important part of our society and our lives.

First, the "concept that books are controversial and are a very important part of our culture and our lives' ' relates to the people in the novel and their interactions with society. According to the text it states“You know, I’m not afraid of you at all ... So many people are. Afraid of firemen, I mean. But you’re just a man, after all ...’”(Bradbury 5). This shows how In this society firefighters burn books and people fear them which shows books are contronversal. Anothe piece of evidence which would support this is “‘Do you ever read any of the books you burn?’

‘Well, that’s one way to get an audience. Hold a gun on a man and force him to listen to your speech. Speech away. What’ll it be this time? Why don’t you belch Shakespeare at me, you fumbling snob?... (Bradbury 113). This shows how Beatty is quoting literature which shows how Beatty is very familiar with books and has knowledge of it which is ironic because Beatty seems to have two personalities to his exterior, the one where he follows the rules of socity and captain beatty of the fire house and his inner life where he loves books and literature and wants to rebel just like montag. Another piece of evidence is “‘A natural error. Curiosity alone,’ said Beatty. ‘We don’t getoveranxious or mad. We let the fireman keep the book twenty­four hours. If he hasn’t burned it by then, we simply come burn it for him’”(Bradbury 59). This shows how Beatty acts as if he is unaware despite the fact that he is aware that Montag has taken a book and is battling an inner conflict. This is crucial because it highlights how significant it is that Montag is starting to read books differently than before