Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury PDF

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Bradbury's most interesting years, according to critics, were the years following World War II, from 1947 to 1957. This period roughly corresponds to a time when science fiction authors began to approach their subject matter seriously and were creating characters with psychological complexity and am...

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Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury Bradbury's most interesting years, according to critics, were the years following World War II, from 1947 to 1957. This period roughly corresponds to a time when science fiction authors began to approach their subject matter seriously and were creating characters with psychological complexity and ambiguity. Dark Carnival (Arkham House, 1947); the amazing Martian Chronicles (Doubleday, 1950), Bradbury's first and perhaps finest science fiction work; the short storey collections The Illustrated Man (Doubleday, 1951) and The Golden Apples of the Sun (Doubleday, 1953); and Dandelion Wine(Dover, 1957), a short novel that has achieved the status of a minor American classic. Bradbury died in 1970. "The Fireman," a short storey by Bradbury that appeared in the second issue of Galaxy Science Fiction (February 1951) and was expanded into Fahrenheit 451 (October 1953), his best and most well-known novel, was also written during this period. Fahrenheit 451 was originally published by Ballantine as part of a collection that included two other stories, "The Playground" and "And the Rock Cried Out." It was not published separately until the Ballantine paperback edition was released in April 1960. Fahrenheit 451 has a recurring theme. It's interesting to note that the impetus for the characters and the situation in Fahrenheit 451 occurred before the events of "The Fireman." As Bradbury explains in his introduction to Pillar of Fire and Other Plays (Bantam, 1975), they first appeared during the years immediately following World War II: In retrospect, I realise that this storey ["Pillar of Fire," Planet Stories, Summer 1948], this character, and so on were all dress rehearsals for my later novel Fahrenheit 451, which was made into a film. As a book burner who discovers the joy of reading and becomes obsessed with preserving mind-printed on matter, Lantry [the protagonist of "Pillar of Fire"] represents the books themselves, the thing that needs to be saved from being burned to a crisp. In an ideal world, he and Montag would have met, established a business, and lived happily ever after: as librarian and librarian saver, as book and reader, as idea and flesh to preserve the idea, and as library and librarian saver. Fahrenheit 451 is, according to Bradbury's own admission, a novel about the burning of books, or the destruction of mind as it is printed on matter, which is a theme that explicitly emerges in the novel. Furthermore, although Bradbury does not use the word "censorship" in the novel, it is important to be aware that he is deeply concerned about censorship in general. However, while the phrase "book burning" is overused to describe the suppression of writing, the real issue addressed in the novel is censorship. If one reads "Pillar of Fire" with care, one will discover that not all books are in danger in the future dystopia (a fictional world in which people live dehumanised

and fearful lives), but rather specific kinds, or genres, of books are in danger in the future dystopia. Naturally, this is not exactly true in Fahrenheit 451, in which all books that are burned by the "firemen" are in danger of being burned themselves. This novel can be thought of as a kind of hyperbolic extension of the tensions that existed in the previous narrative. As a result of Bradbury's observation about "Pillar of Fire" (1948), it is necessary to ask: What are the social and/or economic forces that caused such a thematic obsession to emerge in Bradbury's work from 1948 to 1953? Why are only books of imagination, fantasy, the macabre, and the occult threatened in "Pillar of Fire"? What is the significance of this? In Bradbury's storey "Usher II," which appears in The Martian Chronicles and is set in the year 1950, works by fantasists are also threatened (1950). This storey serves as a sort of dress rehearsal for the themes that will be explored in "Usher II," and the latter storey appears to be set in the same imaginative realm as "The Firemen," which was published in 1951. ) ("The Firemen" was written around the same time as "Usher II" and is copyrighted to the year 1950.) Indeed, the characters of William Lantry in "Pillar of Fire" and William Stendahl in "Usher II" are strikingly similar, as are the authors whose works are threatened, including Poe, Bierce, and other American fantasy authors. Furthermore, in "Usher II," a Burning Crew is mentioned, one that is ultimately responsible for the destruction of Stendahl's beloved library of imaginative literature, and the Burning Crew is clearly a synonym for the firemen in Fahrenheit 451. Another way to phrase the question is: Why is Bradbury so sensitive to the widespread condemnation of fantasy literature and literature in general? When taken to its logical conclusion, this is a question about the literary merit of works of popular literature. In what ways does Bradbury's reaction to the critical reception of fantasy literature during the post-World War II period stand out from other writers? When one considers that Bradbury himself was publishing science fiction and fantasy in legitimate magazines, or slicks, such as Colliers and the Saturday Evening Post, rather than in pulps, or disreputable magazines, the question becomes even more difficult to answer. As Peter Nicholls points out, "[Bradbury's] career continues to be the most significant break into lucrative markets achieved by any genre of writer" (1985). Science Fiction is the genre in which this storey is set. While the questions posed are far removed from traditional literary discussion, they may provide an alternative way of reading the novel — as science fiction of the genre. Bradbury's obsession with the suppression of fantasy literature may, on a psychological level, be an expression of his struggle with the validity of his own career as a fantasy writer. "Science fiction was still a minority cult, little known to anyone except its adherents," according to Brian W. Aldiss (Schocken, 1974), when Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury feels compelled to tell his readers in his brief authorial statement appended to the beginning of The October Country

(Ballantine, 1955), an abridgement of his earlier collection Dark Carnival (1947), that "[this book] will present a side of my writing that is probably unfamiliar to them, and a type of storey that I have rarely done since 1948." "[This book] will present a side of my writing that is probably unfamiliar to them," Bradbury writes. At the time, Bradbury was well aware of his (perhaps undeserved) reputation as a science fiction writer and he was attempting to introduce his readership to a facet of his work that they were unfamiliar with at the time. It is perhaps unsurprising that his next published book after The October Country, Dandelion Wine (Doubleday, 1957), is not science fiction, but rather an exuberant celebration of childhood and the lifeaffirming value of imagination. With the exception of A Medicine for Melancholy (Doubleday, 1959), a collection of short stories dominated by science fiction selections, Bradbury has rarely returned to science fiction. It is only through recycling older stories that collections such as R is for Rocket [1962] and S is for Space [1966] have become popular. However, there is another aspect of Fahrenheit 451 that is equally intriguing: This development of an increasingly oppressive political organisation that wishes to deny originality and idiosyncrasy is reflected in the suppression and condemnation of imaginative literature (which was previously considered a synecdoche for popular literature) and other literary forms. Fifty-one degrees Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction novel that employs the dystopian theme, which is defined as a totalitarian, highly centralised, and, as a result, oppressive social organisation that sacrifices individual expression for the sake of efficiency and social harmony, all of which are achieved through technocratic means. The episodes of Dandelion Wine — the book that is most contiguous with Fahrenheit 451 (as opposed to The October Country) — that were originally published as "The Happiness Machine" and "The Trolley" are available for the reader's consideration (Good Housekeeping, Vol. 141 No. 1, July 1955.). The former storey portrays technology as incapable of providing for — and even hostile to — human happiness, whereas the latter storey portrays technological innovation as solely efficient, oppressive, and, in some cases, protofascist. One could even argue that Dandelion Wine, which was published after Bradbury had established himself as a formidable science fiction writer, holds that technology and technological innovation are inconsequential when it comes to solving fundamental human problems. Fahrenheit 451 demonstrates this point of view. For example, take note of the marital difficulties that Montag and his wife are experiencing despite the fact that their home is filled with technological contraptions specifically designed for domestic bliss — or investigate the motivations behind the development of the Mechanical Hound as a vehicle of social control through terrorist means. Influences on the novel Fahrenheit 451 from the past Despite the novel's wealth of exploration opportunities, the issue of book burning, also known as censorship, remains the novel's most central theme and the most difficult issue with which to grapple. In essence, book burning has come to be associated with irrationality during the twentieth century. When it comes to science fiction, the genesis of Fahrenheit 451 was likely contagious with the period of Nazi anti-intellectualism in the late 1930s, and book burning certainly became a synonym

for anti-intellectualism in the 1950s — as it was in Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz — (Lippincott, 1959). It was written during a period of intense interest in what Brian W. Aldiss refers to as "an authoritarian society," which roughly corresponded to the years 1945-1953, and was reflected in works such as George Orwell's Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1948); B.F. Skinner's Walden Two (1948); Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano (1952); Evelyn Waugh's Love Among the Ruins (1953); and Frederick Pohl (1953). Furthermore, during the postwar period, a number of novels and films were produced that dealt with the possibility of nuclear holocaust, which is a threat that hangs over Montag's world throughout the novel. The novel is also set during the McCarthy era, a postwar political climate characterised by xenophobia, blacklisting, and censorship that began in the late 1940s. During the Un-American Activities Committee's examination and approval of textbooks in June 1949, for example, Representative John S. Wood requested that approximately seventy colleges submit their textbooks for examination and approval. In a piece on science fiction as social criticism published in the Nation on May 2, 1953, Bradbury speculated that "when the wind is right, a faint odour of kerosene is exhaled from Senator McCarthy." Many of the issues addressed in the novel are inextricably bound up with the historical period in which they first appeared in the novel. The fact that they are no longer relevant or timely does not imply that they are no longer important or timely issues. According to some accounts, readers were particularly taken with the novel during the 1980s, when censorship in schools and libraries was once again prevalent. Although the novel initially went through six printings in its first twelve years of publication (1953-1965), it went through twenty printings in the following five years (1966-1971) and has remained in print ever since.

As previously stated, Fahrenheit 451 is Bradbury's most well-known novel, which, coincidentally, also happens to be a science fiction novel. Science fiction and fantasy fans are not required to read the novel, nor should they be the only ones who do so. Apart from being a genuine cultural document of the early 1950s, Fahrenheit 451 is also a work of great imagination — regardless of its genre — that deserves to be read by everyone. Taking place in the twenty-fourth century, Fahrenheit 451 introduces a new world in which the media has taken control of the masses and overpopulation, as well as censorship, has taken control of the general population. The individual is not accepted, and the intellectual is regarded as a criminal. The common perception of family has been supplanted by television. Instead of serving as a firefighter's insurance against fire, the fireman is now viewed as a flamethrower and a destroyer of books. Books are considered evil because they cause people to pause and consider their actions. The people live in a world where there are no reminders of the past or appreciation for the past; the population receives its information about the present from TV. Ray Bradbury introduces this new world to the reader through the protagonist Guy Montag, who appears in the novel for a brief period of time.

Montag and Clarisse McClellan are introduced in the story's opening scene, which serves as an inciting incident. Clarisse approaches Montag, a fireman who makes his living by destroying books, as he walks home from work one day. She introduces herself as Clarisse and introduces herself as Montag. Clarisse is the complete polar opposite of anyone Montag has ever met before. She is attractive, young, and energetic, but more importantly, she engages him in conversation about topics that he has never considered before. Because she ponders things such as happiness, love, and, more importantly, the contents of the books he burns, he is fascinated by her inquisitive nature. The young girl's inquiries initially escape Montag's attention, but the rest of his walk home leaves him unable to shake the image of her in his mind. However, as soon as she walks into his house, her image is quickly erased. The moment Montag walks into his room, he notices an empty bottle of sleeping pills lying on the floor next to his bed. Upon returning home, he discovers that his wife Mildred (Millie) has overdosed on the pills, whether intentionally or unintentionally. He summons the emergency response team, and the strangers arrive with their machine to save his wife from certain death. Montag tries to talk about what happened the night before with his wife the next morning, but she is uninterested in engaging in any type of conversation. Rather than responding to Montag's questions, she focuses on a new script she has received for an interactive television programme she is working on. Montag, though frustrated and perplexed by what happened the night before, reports to work the next morning as usual. As he makes his way to work, Montag comes face to face with Clarisse once more, and he is left thinking about things like the taste of rain and what dandelions represent. When he enters the fire station, he is immediately confronted by the Mechanical Hound, who responds with an ominous growl. Montag quickly realises that the Hound does not like him as a result of this brief encounter, which he quickly points out to his fellow firefighter, Captain Beatty, who agrees with him.

Montag's last meeting with Clarisse took place a few days ago. Clarisse confides in Montag during one of his final conversations with her that she is afraid of the violence among her peers. She points out that their world used to be a completely different world, one in which actual people were depicted in photographs and in which people discussed important issues. One day at the fire station, the firefighters receive a call informing them that an elderly woman has hidden books in her residence. The firefighters rush to her residence and immediately begin destroying the contraband. Montag begs the woman to leave the house because the entire structure will be destroyed, but she is

adamant about keeping her priceless collection of books. However, not before Montag has stolen one of the books from the old woman's home and set it ablaze, the house is completely destroyed. Later that night, Montag attempts to talk about the events of the day with Millie, but she is uninterested in what he has to say about them. During their conversation, Montag learns from Millie that Clarisse was killed in an automobile accident while they were out shopping. Montag decides to call in sick to work the following day, but he is surprised when Beatty pays him a surprise visit. Beatty has discovered that Montag is keeping a journal, and he has expressed an interest in reading it. Beatty engages Montag in a lengthy conversation in which he informs him that every firefighter experiences the desire to read a book at some point during his career. Montag is also informed by Beatty that, despite the fact that he is permitted to keep the book for twenty-four hours, he must return to work with the book in hand in order for the book to be properly destroyed. When Montag and Millie meet again, Montag reveals to Millie that he has been concealing not just one book, but a whole cache of books in the house for quite some time. He then persuades Millie to sit with him and read the books alongside him. While reading, Montag attempts to converse with Millie about the content of the books, but discovers that she is unable to comprehend, and even more importantly, does not want to comprehend, what is being read. Montag recalls an old, retired English professor named Faber, whom he had met in a park and whom he had met in the past. Montag makes the decision to visit Faber in order to gain a better understanding of books and his recurring thoughts. When Montag first arrives at Faber's house, he is greeted by the elderly gentleman with apprehension. After seeing Montag's Bible and hearing that Montag wishes to speak with him, Faber becomes reassured that Montag has not come to burn his books or destroy his home. Following their conversation, Faber agrees to teach Montag, as well as providing Montag with a seashell radio so that they can communicate with one another. When Montag returns home, he discovers Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles, two of Millie's friends, having taken up residence at his residence. Montag, feeling particularly brave, decides to enlighten them by reading "Dover Beach," but instead of enlightening them, he causes problems for himself by scaring the women. They run out of the house in tears, and Millie is furious with him for causing such a commotion. Montag returns to work with Faber's voice still in his ear, and he gives Beatty a book, which is promptly incinerated, before leaving. The station receives an alarm after Beatty has had a lengthy discussion with it, and the firemen immediately rush to

demolish the next house. Montag is taken aback when the firemen arrive in front of the unfortunate house and discover that it is his own residence. Beatty orders Montag to demolish his house as soon as possible and places him under arrest. With his flamethrower, Montag devastates his home, particularly the television, and in the following moments, he also kills Beatty, who is standing by watching. Montag is attacked by the Mechanical Hound before he can flee, but he is able to destroy it with fire before the Hound can kill him completely. Montag rushes to Faber's house in search of protection, but he quickly realises that he is putting Faber's life in danger. As a result, he makes a pit stop at the home of Black, a fellow firefighter, and conceals the books inside the house in order to incriminate him. Montag then makes his way to Faber's house, where Faber advises him to flee down the river because another Mechanical Hound is on the lookout for him. Montag agrees. After assisting Faber in eradicating all traces of Montag, Montag flees toward the river in the hopes of evading capture. Montag's trail has been completely lost by the time the Mechanical Hound reaches the river. He floats down the river in complete safety, toward a group of social outcasts and criminals who are similar to himself. Montag makes his way out of the river and immediately comes across the group that Faber had told him about. Montag comes across Granger, the unacknowledged leader of the group, who warmly welcomes him to become a member of their ranks. Montag discovers that the search has not been called off, but has simp...