Tuesday, January 13, 2009

How are Fahrenheit 451's society's democracy, peacekeeping, and equality similar to ours?

The society in this book is based on ours.  It might take place in the future, where things have grown out of our society.  We can tell this because the books that are mentioned are all from our world.  Also, Beatty says that Benjamin Franklin founded the firemen. 



"Established, 1790, to burn English-influenced books in the Colonies. First Fireman: Benjamin Franklin."


RULE 1. Answer the alarm swiftly.


2. Start the fire swiftly.


3. Burn everything.


4. Report back to firehouse immediately.


5. Stand alert for other alarms. (Part I) 



Also similar is their desire for television.  We love television.  They love it so much in Montag’s society that it seems to have taken over their lives.  Mildred is more concerned with “The Family” than her real family.  She wants four walls of giant TV screens. 


Equality in Montag’s society is based on everyone consuming entertainment.  Everyone has access to entertainment, and the limited education that they employ.  In some ways, they have even more rights than we do.  For example, it seems to be perfectly permissible to kill someone by running that person down or shooting the person. 


Clarisse, Montag’s neighbor, explains to Montag why she doesn’t understand people her own age. 



I'm afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always used to be that way? My uncle says no. Six of my friends have been shot in the last year alone.  Ten of them died in car wrecks. (Part I) 



This is an example of where they do not have all of the same rights we do though, because Clarisse and her family are considered outcasts because they want to drive slowly, be pedestrians, or talk to each other.  This is considered wrong and antisocial behavior, and Beatty says it was a good thing when Clarisse died.


Beatty suggest that society eliminated books gradually, because they were not popular.  Books just were not wanted anymore. Therefore, originally at least, the removal of books was a democratic decision. 


Peacekeeping seems to be relegated to the firemen, who make sure that no one has any books.  Books break the peace, after all.  Citizens call the alarm on other citizens they feel may have books.  Then the firemen come and burn the house.  The house itself is fireproof.  They burn everything in it.  If a person gets away, he or she will be chased by the Mechanical Hound and incapacitated or killed by its poisonous stinger.

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