Ignorance In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

In the world of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, society as a whole is an uneducated mess. For nearly all of the novel, leading character Guy Montag had been just another man among the uneducated masses, consequently, he is oblivious to the emptiness and the unimportance of his existence. Montag slowly realizes how intensely his society’s lack of education halts their ability to thrive together. Because most of the people in his society are ignorant, not moronic, there remains a chance for them in the future, as long as the right person comes along to guide them. Throughout the novel, in his connections with the few others who recognize the issues with their world, Montag’s growth as a character, growth of knowledge, and the growth of awareness of himself and others shows that even someone with the utmost ignorance can achieve an education, and learn to think rationally. Arguably, the spark that sets off Montag’s ‘awakening’ from his obliviousness is his first interaction with new neighbor Clarisse. Even after having been a fireman for ten years, Montag acted shocked to hear the graphic way Clarisse speaks, and what she talks about. The first time they meet, after she makes an observation that Montag himself would never have made, he says, uneasily, “You think too many things.” (09). A fundamental part of education is, of course, school, and the lack of proper schooling in Montag’s society has a deep effect on the future of the community. Later on in Part One, Montag