Brennan Armknecht

Ms. Thomson
AP English Language & Composition
20 December 2017

Fahrenheit 451 Dialectical Journals

1. How is reality constructed in Fahrenheit 451? Does it resemble the reality of life in 21st

century America?

Reality is constructed in a very intriguing way in Fahrenheit 451. The reality in Fahrenheit 451

is a dystopian society in which there is an unhealthy reliance on technology. I think that

Bradbury created a piece of literature that we can draw parallels to in the 21st century. The

reliance of technology is as prevalent as it ever has been today and we may not be too far away

from the consequences displayed in Fahrenheit 451. That being said, the total reliance on

technology has not occurred yet in the 21st century. However, I think that it is interesting that a

book that was written so long ago can accurately predict the pitfalls of technology that we may

experience soon. In a way, I think we can refer to this work as a warning of what may happen

when we rely on technology over the nuances of human existence.

2. How does censorship influence reality? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Censorship influences reality in an astronomical way. When discussing the plot of Fahrenheit

451 with my peers, we all agreed that the sense of “reality” in this book is skewed. I think

Bradbury may have used this warped sense of reality as a message on the importance of freedom

of the press and the Importance of reading books as a society. This skewed reality is affirmed

when Mrs. Bowels says,

 “I plunk the children in school nine days out of ten. I put up with them when they come

home three days a month; it's not bad at all. You heave them into the 'parlor' and turn the

switch. It's like washing clothes: stuff laundry in and slam the lid...They'd just as soon

kick as kiss me. Thank God, I can kick back!” (96).

This quote alludes to how censorship completely distorts reality to the pint that school is not

even integral to success in this society. When we read this quote, we think about how Ludacris

the idea of pulling your children out of school the majority of the days is, but in the society with

censorship and a lack conflicting views, this may not be far from normal. This whole passage

indicates that censorship is a negative contributor to reality.

3. What gives books power? Why are books hated and feared in Fahrenheit 451?

I consider Bradbury’s prospective on literature very agreeable. Bradbury posits that books have

no power alone, however they are empower the humans who read them. Beatty states, "We must

all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal

. . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door” (Bradbury 58). Beatty explains that the

appointed role of a fireman is to destroy books because they promote conflicting theory among

the people. This is the main reason why books are feared in this society. However, Bradbury uses

the plot to argue in favor of books. He argues that books are a means of innovation and open

lines of thought. I agree with Bradbury ad Montag’s point of view of books being beneficial to

society. I have noticed that Bradbury seems to use Montag as his manifestation in the book. He

uses Montag and his dialogue to convey his own personal beliefs on the topic and I think that is a

very interesting approach.

 4. How does education impact an individual’s freedom? How does education impact an

individual’s power?

The level of education that one receives is directly proportionate to the level of control that they

possess over their lives. The more educated one is, the more decisions they can make for

themselves and generally speaking, the more successful they will be. Basically, the more

education under ones belt, the more freedom they have. In Fahrenheit 451, education did not

affect social or political power. Rather, it affected power over oneself. We can clearly see that

the characters with the most level of education, such as Clarisse and Montag, have a better

control over themselves than a lesser educated character such as Mildred. One quote that stood

out to me was when Bradbury states, “[Clarisse] didn’t want to know how a thing was done, but

why” (59). This quote demonstrates the higher level of thinking that more educated characters

possess and the moral capability that seems to be elusive in this dystopian society.

5. How does education impact an individual’s happiness?

Education plays a huge role in the level of happiness that one possesses. The higher the level of

education, the happier one is and the more capable they are of complex thought. When assessing

the happiness of each person in this society, the level of happiness directly relates to the level of

education. The society however makes a mistake when they censor books. They feel like this is

the best way to keep one happy, by being “against the small tide of those who want to make

everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought" (59). However, they fail to realize that

the elimination of books, being one of the greatest sources of education, brings down happiness

of the people like never before.

6. What is true happiness? Does knowledge contribute to it or inhibit it?

True happiness is a point of ultimate satisfaction. In order to have true happiness, all of ones

needs need to be met and worries suppressed. I think it is more than just a coincidence that there

are no characters that do not read and have true happiness. Based off of what information is

provided in the text, we can conclude that the source of knowledge in the form of books is a

contributor to true happiness. When you read books, you are able to challenge what you think is

true, and in turn consider theories that you may have never thought of. Books are a way to

innovate and move forward, and they are the key to the gate of happiness in Fahrenheit 451. In

order to have true happiness, one must feel like they can advance in what they set their mind to,

but in Clarisse’s account, “An hour of TV class, an hour of basketball or baseball or running,

another hour of transcription history or painting pictures, and more sports but do you know, we

never ask questions, or at least most don’t; they just run the answers at you, bing, bing, bing, and

us sitting there for four more hours of film teacher.”(Page 29). It seems that the government is

trying to limit the amount of work that one needs to do. In theory, they are looking out for the

good, but they fail to realize that books play an integral part in success and true happiness.

7. What are the implications of a society that focuses on maximizing pleasure and

minimizing pain?

American author Anthony Robbins says, “The secret of success is learning how to use pain and

pleasure.” This quote means a lot to us now and even more to the society displayed in this book.

When a society limits pain and tries to maximize pleasure, the exact opposite happens. If we can

never experience pain, then we can never know how good pleasure is. When reading the book, I

thought to myself, “If we never experienced pain and suffering, would we ever feel the need to

seek pleasure?” The overwhelming answer I formed was no. The best society is one where the

citizens always feel the need to go the extra mile and seek out pleasure, but in the society of
Fahrenheit 451, there is no point. We need bad to see what is good, and this is not happening in

this society. This is embodied when Bradbury states, “It's really fun. It'll be even more fun when

we can afford to have the fourth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get

the fourth wall torn out and a wall-TV put in. It's only two thousand dollars” (20).This text has

an underlying tone of indifference, something that contributes to the fact of there being no

pleasure in the society. Someone would be thrilled to buy the nicest TV, but to them, it just does

not fulfill their desires, because that is the “norm” for them.

8. Who is “happy” in the book? How is it evident?

It is quite obvious that Clarisse is the happiest in the book. The main reason is her perspective on

life. Her dialogue points to her having a vivid personality. She also talks about life before the

craziness that ensued and how different it was. In fact she tells Montag about a time “where the

billboards were only twenty feet long” (9). This dialogue points to Clarisse not conforming to

what her society wants her to be. She constantly challenges the mindset of Montag and shows an

appreciation of things that all of the others overlooked. Clarisse shows that she is capable of true

happiness because she had never succumbed to a life of normality and still holds on to a society

that once was, but is no longer.

9. What “walls” are apparent in relationships between characters? How were these walls

created? How are they reinforced?

The biggest wall in a relationship that is demonstrated in Fahrenheit 451 is the relationship

between Montag and Mildred. Mildred gives almost no regard to Montag and only really cares

about getting back to her programs, leaving their conversations short. “When they reached her

house and all their lights were blazing. “What’s going on?” Montag had rarely seen that many
house lights” (Bradbury 9). House lights, something that we see as so minute, is a metaphor for

the relationship, rather lack of relationship between these two characters. I think his wall was

created when there was a “fork in the road” so to speak and Montag and Mildred went different

ways. Montag chose to conform to society, and in turn he is capable of complex thought and

seeking real pleasure. Mildred however, cannot achieve any pleasure or think for herself because

she conformed to a society that limits conflicting theory. These walls were put in place to

maintain happiness, but instead, they are doing the opposite.

10. What role does literature have in society? In Fahrenheit 451?

No matter what the public’s view of literature is in this book, it is hard to argue that it does not

play a huge part in society. On one end, literature is evil and promotes conflicting theory and

thought. It is a threat to order and peace of mind. It must be stopped. On the other hand, some

people think that literature is a means of advancement, and a society needs conflicting theory to

function and better themselves. I find myself on this end of the spectrum for many reasons.

Primarily because in my own personal experience, books have challenged me to see the world

from a different view than my own. They have allowed me to better understand where others are

coming from and accept others even though they may have different opinions than myself. I

think that Fahrenheit 451 in general has given us an insight to the importance of

books/censorship in our society. Books are usually something that we take for granted, but when

being posed with a society without them, we can see how integral they are to a functional

society. This text has more significance than just a fictional book about censorship, it carries a

message of unspeakable weight that we must carry on throughout our lives, the importance of

literature.