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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
"but how do i choose a substitute? do i turn in mr. jefferson? mr. thoreau? which is least valuable?"
the antithesis is censorship!!! all literature has value, all ART has value (even though some of it sucks) but to say that certain books are too "dangerous" or "inappropriate" or whatever is a complete and utter fucking lie and the people who say such are harming you i am shaking my fist at the sky and also the us government
the antithesis is censorship!!! all literature has value, all ART has value (even though some of it sucks) but to say that certain books are too "dangerous" or "inappropriate" or whatever is a complete and utter fucking lie and the people who say such are harming you i am shaking my fist at the sky and also the us government
I only read the story itself and not the historical significance at the end but I liked the book. Unfortunately it just didn’t capture my attention as much as I would have liked but still an enjoyable read.
The more this book lingers in my mind, the more I love it.
It's really about how burning *books* is bad, but more about how the loss of curiosity and critical thinking is bad. In the very beginning Montag already is subconsciously open to foreign ideas, no matter how silly they are to him. The life people live in this world is one of monotony, never changing. So, when Clarisse enters his life, that simple change in his routine affects him dramatically.
People are so comfortable in their own ignorance they don't notice they aren't happy. Two key examples of this are Millie and Beatty:
Both are parallels of the other. Millie attempts suicide at the beginning of the book, which is the inciting event I would say in Montag's entire journey. When she is saved and has all the pills taken out of her system, she doesn't remember anything. Now, this is either the effect the procedure or simply the effect of her own long conditioned mind. Nevertheless, she has seemingly no change in behavior or shows any signs of wanting to end her own life. Whatever finally pushed her to that point the night before has been once again buried deep in her mind. She clearly is unhappy in her situation but in the end, she betrays Montag. Montag is honest with her; he tries to make her understand that there is more to life than mindlessly watching 'the family' (or an apt prediction of reality/trash TV and doom scrolling on social media) but she is so complacent in how life is she actually helps to maintain it that way and rats out her own husband.
Now, Beatty is a more blatant example of this. He is on the more extreme side of this intense compliance to a life he himself hates. He clearly has been curious about books himself, he has many passages memorized and he uses his own knowledge to torment Montag, toying with him when, in hindsight, it is obvious he had known Montag was spiraling the entire time. He is a foil of Montag. He read and came the conclusion from books against learning, that knowledge was a curse and only brought trouble. However, his own knowledge on the subject proves that those ideas are actually necessary to society. The mere act of reading and absorbing information supports its importance. He was curious, and when he found that his curiosity presented problems and that those problems were bigger than anything he had encountered, he retreated back to the dull comfort of burning it. But though he 'believes' books are bad, he does not run when it is clear he might die. He continues to taunt Montag, to almost incite his own death, ironically, by burning.
Beatty burns problems, Millie buries them. Both would rather die than live in a passionless society, yet both help further it. They are both so comfortable in their uncomfort that they would rather stay complacent with what they've always known than to try and find what is missing.
Life becomes meaningless when everyone falls victim to fleeting pleasures. Yes, knowledge is hard, thinking deeply about things can lead to anguish and anxiety, but it is all we can ever do. We are meant to create art and to share our thoughts with others. Even the ideas that maybe harmful are still better than no ideas at all.
The ending of the book is so powerful because it stresses the fact that books are not what's important; it is the words within them, the people behind the words, and how the words can impact the people who read them. The groups of people who memorize passages also burn books. There is nothing tangible in the world that carries purpose, nothing material that has the key to happiness. It is ideas and forces; books are only vessels to communicate what we cannot see. And this book communicates so much of that.
It's really about how burning *books* is bad, but more about how the loss of curiosity and critical thinking is bad. In the very beginning Montag already is subconsciously open to foreign ideas, no matter how silly they are to him. The life people live in this world is one of monotony, never changing. So, when Clarisse enters his life, that simple change in his routine affects him dramatically.
People are so comfortable in their own ignorance they don't notice they aren't happy. Two key examples of this are Millie and Beatty:
Both are parallels of the other. Millie attempts suicide at the beginning of the book, which is the inciting event I would say in Montag's entire journey. When she is saved and has all the pills taken out of her system, she doesn't remember anything. Now, this is either the effect the procedure or simply the effect of her own long conditioned mind. Nevertheless, she has seemingly no change in behavior or shows any signs of wanting to end her own life. Whatever finally pushed her to that point the night before has been once again buried deep in her mind. She clearly is unhappy in her situation but in the end, she betrays Montag. Montag is honest with her; he tries to make her understand that there is more to life than mindlessly watching 'the family' (or an apt prediction of reality/trash TV and doom scrolling on social media) but she is so complacent in how life is she actually helps to maintain it that way and rats out her own husband.
Now, Beatty is a more blatant example of this. He is on the more extreme side of this intense compliance to a life he himself hates. He clearly has been curious about books himself, he has many passages memorized and he uses his own knowledge to torment Montag, toying with him when, in hindsight, it is obvious he had known Montag was spiraling the entire time. He is a foil of Montag. He read and came the conclusion from books against learning, that knowledge was a curse and only brought trouble. However, his own knowledge on the subject proves that those ideas are actually necessary to society. The mere act of reading and absorbing information supports its importance. He was curious, and when he found that his curiosity presented problems and that those problems were bigger than anything he had encountered, he retreated back to the dull comfort of burning it. But though he 'believes' books are bad, he does not run when it is clear he might die. He continues to taunt Montag, to almost incite his own death, ironically, by burning.
Beatty burns problems, Millie buries them. Both would rather die than live in a passionless society, yet both help further it. They are both so comfortable in their uncomfort that they would rather stay complacent with what they've always known than to try and find what is missing.
Life becomes meaningless when everyone falls victim to fleeting pleasures. Yes, knowledge is hard, thinking deeply about things can lead to anguish and anxiety, but it is all we can ever do. We are meant to create art and to share our thoughts with others. Even the ideas that maybe harmful are still better than no ideas at all.
The ending of the book is so powerful because it stresses the fact that books are not what's important; it is the words within them, the people behind the words, and how the words can impact the people who read them. The groups of people who memorize passages also burn books. There is nothing tangible in the world that carries purpose, nothing material that has the key to happiness. It is ideas and forces; books are only vessels to communicate what we cannot see. And this book communicates so much of that.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
slow-paced
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes