The Theme Of Ignorance In Fahrenheit 451

Thomas Gray once said that ignorance is bliss. In this case is not true. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 deals with the protagonists struggle with knowledge versus ignorance. It is a futuristic novel that deals with the struggle of an alienated society. The literary devices assist in portraying the hidden ignorance. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the theme of ignorance is prevalent; this can be shown through the characters, theme, and dystopia.

The theme of ignorance is shown through many of the characters. One of them is the protagonist, Guy Montag. His ignorance is prevalent throughout the entire novel and can be considered one of the themes. One of the ways that Guy is ignorant is because of his occupation. He is a firefighter

Dystopia is a place where everything is bad, much like the world Montag lives in. The ignorance in this dystopian society can be shown through dehumanization. The government has taken away what makes people human. They replace social interaction with television and seashell radios so you do not even have to socialize. If you do not have these things or enjoy them you are considered an outcast. A good example is Clarisse and her family. Everyone thinks that they are odd because they sit on their porch and talk to each other. She mentions her uncle was arrested just for walking. The citizens are so blinded by the ignorance that they refuse to see acting like a human being normal. Another way ignorance is shown through dystopian societies is with propaganda. People are expected to believe the government wants, no questions asked. An example of how the government uses propaganda is when Montag is wanted by the police. They use media and television to show that they have killed Montag even though he is not dead: “They’re faking. You threw them off at the river. They can’t admit it. They know they can hold their audience only so long. The show’s got to have a snap ending, quick… So they’re sniffling for a scape-goat to end things with a bang.” (Bradbury) The government also plays their propaganda in schools to wire it into the children’s brain. The final example of how ignorance is shown through dystopian societies is surveillance. One thing all dystopian societies have in common is that they are all being watched. In Fahrenheit 451 it is the hound dogs. It is used to root out suspects and then sedate them. Another example of surveillance is when the citizens watch each other and report each other if there are book