Ignorance In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

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Ignorance is bliss, and the government in Fahrenheit 451 would rather have its citizens subdued to their televisions where the content can be controlled and regulated by said government. Novels contain stories of boldness, independence, action, and creativity. All examples of characteristics the government does not want their citizens to possess. The burning of the books is seen as acceptable to the citizens since novels are always targeting a specific race, spiritual group, or society. Citizens voluntarily elected to stop reading since the majority of novels are subjects of controversy, the novels always seem to start some sort of disagreement with another social group. Furthermore, it is convenient for the citizens to simply consume the ideals…show more content…
“So now do you see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life. The comfortable people want only wax moon faces, pore less, hairless, expressionless (Bradbury 83).” Conversely, citizens of the society should read the novels since they promote critical thinking and identity formation in this anti-intellectual society. The novels provide readers information to form their opinions on various controversial issues; they provide insight into various different perspectives on said issues. The government’s decision to burn books combined with the society’s unwillingness to further themselves educationally through reading leads to a world that rejects information that is deemed as inconvenient to them. Faux happiness and ignorance are chosen over true understanding of situations and unique opinion forming. Fahrenheit 451 serves as a base for the society depicted in Brave New World since it showcases the beginnings of identity loss through governmental control. Faber mentions that "books show the…show more content…
Totalitarian control runs amok in both societies; Bradbury’s party in power remains nameless, but its power is omnipotent. From fourth wall entertainment to advertising jingles when a person dies, to purposefully promoting ignorance by burning books, all aspects of an individual’s life is controlled in Fahrenheit 451. In Huxley’s Brave New World an Orwellian approach is taken and leads to the formation of the specific power known as The Controller (Kollar 57). The Controllers oversee every facet of life from the reproduction of clothing, to rationing of Soma. Those who wish to seek solace in knowledge and understanding are hunted down similarly to Montag in Fahrenheit 451. Knowledge provided by sources outside of the government in both societies is seen as a luxury, there is no legal way an individual can research information using sources other than those spoon-fed to them. Information spouted from the televisions are used to distract individuals from the war that is going on in their own neighborhoods. Bradbury highlights the dangers of societies over depending on technology for all their needs. Although Brave New World also features technology being used to take control, Huxley is more invested in showcasing how ruling governments obtain and maintain power using a variety of methods. This recurring them of distraction through government between the two novels
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