Book Burning
Mrs. Ackerman
Block 5
6 September 2013
Ray Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, is a good example of how censorship creates fear and ignorance in a society. It also shows how a government tries to maintain control over its people through censorship. What history has shown us through the years, however, is instead of bringing people together, control tactics like these, have actually divided societies and torn people apart. As a society we have learned that one person or a group of people can not fully control another group of people. As in Fahrenheit 451, even when a person completely censors what information people are allowed to have, they still have free will. They will still seek out others to share information with. In fact it can give them a stronger will to fight against censorship, as Montag did in Fahrenheit 451. people believe that censorship has proven to do more harm than good. Some examples of this throughout history are, the Nazi book burning, the Qin Dynasty book burning, and the Roman Inquisition. In 1933, the Nazi regime was stamping out ideas of freedom and overpowering the culture and values of the civilization. The Germans, mostly Hitler, did not want anyone to have their own thoughts. He wanted to control everyone’s opinions, which was very similar to what happened in Fahrenheit 451. Hitler’s right hand man was Joseph Goebbels. “Goebbels forced Jewish artists, musicians, actors, directors and newspaper and magazine editors into unemployment, and staged a public burning of books that were considered ”un-German” (History.com.) Goebbels was loyal to Hitler until the end of World War II (1939-45). Goebbels was a driving force in the censorship of the civilization. Even Hitler, however, could not stop the Jews from exercising free will when it came to their thinking. This free thinking, like Montag, helped the Jews survive this horrible time.
During the time of the Roman inquisition, some Romans in power in the Catholic church wanted
Block 5
6 September 2013
Ray Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, is a good example of how censorship creates fear and ignorance in a society. It also shows how a government tries to maintain control over its people through censorship. What history has shown us through the years, however, is instead of bringing people together, control tactics like these, have actually divided societies and torn people apart. As a society we have learned that one person or a group of people can not fully control another group of people. As in Fahrenheit 451, even when a person completely censors what information people are allowed to have, they still have free will. They will still seek out others to share information with. In fact it can give them a stronger will to fight against censorship, as Montag did in Fahrenheit 451. people believe that censorship has proven to do more harm than good. Some examples of this throughout history are, the Nazi book burning, the Qin Dynasty book burning, and the Roman Inquisition. In 1933, the Nazi regime was stamping out ideas of freedom and overpowering the culture and values of the civilization. The Germans, mostly Hitler, did not want anyone to have their own thoughts. He wanted to control everyone’s opinions, which was very similar to what happened in Fahrenheit 451. Hitler’s right hand man was Joseph Goebbels. “Goebbels forced Jewish artists, musicians, actors, directors and newspaper and magazine editors into unemployment, and staged a public burning of books that were considered ”un-German” (History.com.) Goebbels was loyal to Hitler until the end of World War II (1939-45). Goebbels was a driving force in the censorship of the civilization. Even Hitler, however, could not stop the Jews from exercising free will when it came to their thinking. This free thinking, like Montag, helped the Jews survive this horrible time.
During the time of the Roman inquisition, some Romans in power in the Catholic church wanted