Epigraph in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

Assignment: What does the epigraph mean and why did Bradbury choose it? How is it relevant to Bradbury’s life?
After reading both Gerald Jonas’ article for The New York Times about Ray Bradbury’s life and Bradbury’s own novel, Fahrenheit 451, it can be determined that Bradbury has a very active imagination and a distinctly creative nature. The Juan Ramón Jiménez quote that he chose for the epigraph in Fahrenheit 451, expresses his strong belief in individuality. To “write the other way,” is to be different, to be unique, and to question what you are told. Bradbury chose this quote because it’s essence symbolizes creativity, original thought and individuality; these traits among others embody many of Bradbury’s protagonists, including Guy Montag, and seem to resemble Bradbury himself. According to the article “Ray Bradbury, Who Brought Mars to Earth With a Lyrical Mastery, Dies at 91,” Ray Bradbury had a lively personality and a brilliant mind. His “imaginative and lyrical evocations of the future,” encouraged exactly the type of creative thinking that this quote exemplifies. Bradbury took the social norm and expanded upon it in a way that made his works unique. He questioned the morals of society and proposed fascinating predictions for the future, which held negative connotations that were unusual to the time period. His writing held a certain shock value that is still apparent as well as relevant even now– over 60 years later. Bradbury’s knack for original thought and outside the box thinking enabled him to create some of the greatest literary masterpieces of all time, in the growing field of science fiction. The metaphorical teachings and didactic trends present in Bradbury’s works, especially Fahrenheit 451, are the products of his vast imagination prove his talent for creative thinking. His tendency towards questioning the norm, pushing the limit and presenting thought-provoking ideas show how the epigraph defines him. Bradbury chose this quote because it is representative of him and his beliefs; if Bradbury was given ruled paper, he would most definitely write the other way.