Fahrenheit 451 Comparison Essay

To some people knowledge is what powers society to new heights, to others however knowledge is just another word in the english language. There is a distinct difference between these two types of people making it so easy to compare and contrast them in many aspects. Fahrenheit 451 shows these two people in the world at an ongoing battle between each other which sets it up for quite the conflict. In Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury conveys that knowledge supersedes ignorance through Clarisse changing Montag, Montag getting Mrs Bowles out of his house, and showing the effects of television to society in negative ways. Now these two people are both everyday citizens in society however one’s knowledge supersedes the other. Bradbury uses these two people as substitutes for Clarisse and Montag when first meeting. Clarisse’s knowledge overshadows Montag’s with simple things such as dew on the grass. Clarisse addresses this when on a stroll with Montag when Montag starts being frustrated with such an observation “He suddenly couldn’t remember if he had known this or not and it made him quite irritable”(7). This shows how Clarisse’s knowledge is victorious to Montag’s ignorance, making him frustrated about such a simple aspect in everyday life. This is not the only time Clarisse has changed Montag with her knowledge, when finished with the walk Clarisse changes Montag’s whole perspective when asking him if he’s happy “Of course I’m happy. What does she think I’m not”(18)? This shows Clarisse’s knowledge now changing Montag in
Knowledge not only supersedes ignorance in a variety of ways but it doesn’t hold people back, it doesn’t control a person subliminally, and it doesn't make someone isolated from what’s really going on. When Bradbury was showing Knowledge over ignorance when he made these comparisons, it wasn’t what Montag was doing, it was what the rest of society wasn’t