Burn, Baby, Burn

I spoke of this book awhile back, but I would like to revisit the topic. The book I am speaking of is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which I read back in November. This book knocked my socks off. I will fully admit that I am not very versed in the masters of American fiction, but I am starting to work on that problem, and this was a great book to get me started. When I mention that I had just recently read this book, people look at me a little puzzled, since most read it in high school. Well, I was never afforded this chance. My role at the school has me supporting multiple students of different grades, so I have to make sure that I am caught up in their assignments. This can be difficult since it has required me to read multiple books at the same time.

Well, Fahrenheit was one such book that I had the pleasure to read. Bradbury wrote this book in 1951 as a dystopian vision of the future. In this future, books are seen as dangerous and burned by modern day Firemen. These Firemen no longer put out fires, as homes are built to be resistant to fires. So, as books are found, they are burned and the suspect is arrested for committing the crime of reading. Montag performs his job without giving the ideals he was taught a second thought. He begins to question the morality of his job when he is approached by his young neighbor, whose inquisitive nature forces Montag to take a look at himself and the senseless society that he inhabits.

Bradbury paints a very bleak vision of the future that features a society that has no voice. Television and radio are controlled by the government, and independent thought is completely frowned upon. Once Montag begins to question the ways of society, he begins to hate his job and develop a yearning for the written word. This leads to Montag's eventually demise, as is discovered to be a holder of books and must run from the autorities to ensure his safety. That is about all I will say as a summation, but the consequences of Montag's reality are both disturbing and thrilling at the same time. On top of that, the ending will leave you jaw wide open after being hit with a ton of bricks.

Most of my students did not particulary care for this novel, but I found myself tearing at the pages, constantly hanging on the precipice with each new page. Bradury's portrait of the future is damn scary, but it is something that we as a socicety need to be aware of. If you have not had the pleasure of reading this masterpiece, do so, and you will be richley rewarded.