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Adrienne Bowen

Mrs. Tallardy

English 121

30 November 2017

Societal Regression Through Government and Relation To Fahrenheit 451

Societies of the world in the present day, as well as far back on a timeline have

experienced a period of strong progression, as well as regression. Regression in a lone society is

set to a cause through wishing to realize an factor of a leaders anxiety simply in the moment,

without a trace of evidence that the action was considered of the consequences they could bring

out in the long run. The almost never-ending concept hurts citizens and entire regions and

countries, where the leaders are harmful and careless, where the government is running wild. In

the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the words act as a cautionary tale, Bradbury sends a

direct message showing readers what can happen if they allow the government to take total

control of what they do (or do not) read, watch, and discuss. In a sense, one could say this is

censorship, which ties back into the concept of a regressive society, where its own people are

being shied away from the facts to create an ideal society, which it never is. Citizens are told to

never question what is given, their words essentially are stripped from their mouths, so they truly

believe that the society is progressing. Throughout history, events have expressed this very idea,

such as the German book burnings, where intelligence was burned in front of peoples eyes, and

the strict tight power over Russia through Joseph Stalin. Due to these events, their societies

spiraled downhill, as in Fahrenheit 451. Overpowering government's lead to a recessive and

oppressive society in which the cycle never breaks

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The Book burnings in Germany under the Nazi regime, made the occurrence on

May 10,

1933. During the era of the Holocaust lead by dictator Adolf Hitler, book burnings took place,

which were the rituals of destruction through fire of written intelligence sources. These burnings

normally were carried out in public, almost as an execution. The element of censorship was

present, and no questions were to be asked of the governments actions, of downgrading its

society. Through an attempt of symbolism, students set up in flame circa 25,000 volumes of

books not of the German culture, entering the true era of state censorship, and overly powered

control. People of Germany knew in their right minds the events were taking place were not

politically correct, however had minimal room to stand for themselves, without severe

punishment. As an illustration in the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury shows the hardships

through the woman on 11 Elm Street, The woman knelt among the books, touching the

drenched leather and cardboard, reading the gilt titles with her fingers while her eyes accused

Montag. You can't ever have my books, she said. (Bradbury 39). The woman was preparing

to go to the extent of dying with her books, they are so incredibly significant to the woman she is

and all she stands for. Bradburys society can almost be considered realistic, due to events such

as the German Book burnings. The consequences strike people, due to the pure ignorance of

leaders and the government system. The government acted as if the citizens still would not

question their motives, however the woman burned along with her books did, and stood for what

she believed in. Her freedom was taken away from her as she was burned to ashes, and in a

progressive society, freedom of belief and speech is encouraged and carried out. On 11 Elm

Street, in a fictional society, books were burned as an attempt at purifying society, when all it

accomplished was regressing it. Similarly, The promotion of Aryan culture and the
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suppression of other forms of artistic production was yet another Nazi effort to purify

Germany (Holocaust Encyclopedia, USHMM).

Totalitarianism is a form of government in which the national government has complete

control over every aspect of both private and political life. (CDA Case Study). Fahrenheit 451s

society deems to be a totalitarian state. All citizens were expected to accept the concepts and

ideology provided or as mentioned before, suffer the consequences. A totalitarian state is

usually led by a dynamic leader who appears to provide a sense of security and guidance towards

a brighter future followed by a single political party. (CDA Case Study). The leaders in these

states of terror never think of the opposing sides, and believe all they are doing if beneficial. In

the sense of one of the most significant totalitarian states and conditions, the cruel leader was

known as Joseph Stalin. His state of being and the state that he put Russia under held back a

Russian Revolution by the strict orders he had set on his citizens. For example, the KGB were

created in hopes of annihilating all who wished to go against his word. The KGB is the

equivalent to the firemen in Fahrenheit 451, in which they destroyed all items that contradicted

the government and Beattys ideas, as Stalin did. Talent was frowned upon by Stalin unless it

benefitted the state, as in Bradburys society, being literate or an author only got you persecuted,

and your home burned to the ground by Beatty and his crew. The censorship, restrictions, culture

shock, terror, and pure persuasion by the government set all into panic mode. However, there

was nothing that could be done, essentially the citizens of Russia and Bradburys society were

trapped in a reality that should never have to exist. During Stalins reign of the USSR, he was

deemed responsible for the deaths of twenty million people. These humans most likely could

have been slaughtered simply for going against one aspect of the totalitarian government. In

Fahrenheit 451, it is safe to say that over twenty million books were annihilated, for being a pure
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sense of security that the government did not allow people to have control of, or have possession

of.

Overpowering governments can lead to regression and progression, sometimes simply

depending on interpretation of the situation. The strong government method can aid to restart and

redirect the society or country as a whole if it is in a downward spiral or needs improvement.

Tight control over the people gives them minimal control of their actions. For example, during

the Great Depression, When the danger of recession appeared most serious, government sought

to strengthen the economy by spending heavily itself or cutting taxes so that consumers would

spend more, and by fostering rapid growth in the money supply, which also encouraged more

spending. (ThoughtCo). With limitations and rules that had consequences, the economy was

restored. The citizens of the United States in this era of the 1930s were not opposed to the

ideology of the government for everyone was being greatly affected. Simply, with the

government carrying out actions that benefit the entire society, and not using acts of

impulsiveness, progression occurs.

Being exposed to the poor governmental system gives one a larger perspective on the true

power of the government and their negative effects on not only the society, but the humans living

inside. Humans should all acquire their basic human rights, which seem to be forgotten with

specific people in power and the way they handle the challenges that they face, political,

economical, or social. Destroying forms of intelligence is a malicious method that was

demonstrated in real life in Germany during the Holocaust, and in the science fiction novel,

Fahrenheit 451. Both show the true colors of the government as they tear it down instead of

build it back up, never admitting they are in the wrong. Although some believed totalitarianism

was diminished, it was also brought back to life in Ray Bradburys novel. After reading
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Fahrenheit 451, my eyes have been opened to the masterminds behind societies, and the twisted

thoughts and actions they are capable of carrying out, oblivious to the pain it brings its own

people. In a world full of progression, it only takes one system, one powerful human, one

thought, to regress the whole society.

Works Cited

Book Burning. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial

Museum, www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005852.

CDA's World History Wiki. Totalitarianism: Case StudyStalinist Russia - CDA's World

History Wiki, cdaworldhistory.wikidot.com/totalitarianism:case-study-stalinist-russia.

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Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury. Sundance, 1997.

From the Russian Revolution of 1917 to Stalinist Totalitarianism - Agustn Guillamn.

Libcom.org, libcom.org/history/russian-revolution-1917-stalinist-totalitarianism-

agust%C3%ADn-guillamn.

Moffatt, Mike. What Is the Government's Role in the Economy? ThoughtCo,

www.thoughtco.com/the-governments-role-in-the-economy-1147544.

Pringle, Robert W. KGB. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 15 Mar.

2016, www.britannica.com/topic/KGB.