Fahrenheit and Footlose Essay

Connection to Fahrenheit 451 and “Footloose” How would it feel like to be in a relationship or live in a town where no one knew the real truth about everything? Both the novel Fahrenheit 451 and the film “Footloose” reveal people in society are too focused on themselves causing them to be blinded from the truth such as relationships and the government. One of the ways both texts prove that people are blinded from the truth are ways people act in relationships. For example, Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury made Montag and Mildred did not have a good relationship because they were too self-centered. Mildred was obsessed with watching TV and Montag was too focused on his work with the fire department. Neither of them understood the reality of life around them because they were too absorbed with insignificant things. Bradbury writes, “He remembered thinking then that if she died, he was certain he wouldn’t cry… a silly empty man near a silly empty woman, while the hungry snake made her still more empty”(pg.44). This quote explains that Montag would feel apathetic if Mildred died because their relationship is so empty; there is no foundation to it anymore. Similarly, “Footloose” also shows how people are blinded from the truth of relationships such as Ariel and her boyfriend chuck’s relationship. In the movie Ariel was so stuck in the moment with chuck that she didn’t realize that he was bad and she deserved way better. She finally started realizing it when one day she told chuck that she had feelings for Ren and he went crazy and hit her. Before that scene Ariel was so blinded by the truth of her and chuck’s relationship. But because of that scene she finally realized that she was blinded from the truth and their relationship and she knew she deserved better. These examples show it is clear that both texts prove that in both texts people are blinded from the truth of relationships. Another way both texts reveal that society is blinded from the truth is caused by the government. In Fahrenheit 451 the government really took over control and banned books. The people in that society were so stuck on that situation that they were really blinded from the truth of everything else. Bradbury writes, “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?... That’s against the law!” (pg.8). Everyone is so caught up in the government’s decision of banning books that people, like Montag are blinded from the real truth. “Footloose” also shows this by the government banning dancing because of one party a group of teenagers had and got into a car accident and died. In the movie the government banned dancing because of one incident that happened a long time before and the community didn’t do anything about it until Ren came and changed it all. The whole community was so blinded by the government to even see that they can make a change but because Ren had just moved to the town and saw what was going on, he changed everything for everyone. These examples also show how clear it is that in both texts they show how everyone is blinded from the truth by the government. So in conclusion, both texts prove how people are blinded from relationships and the government in many ways. Clearly people are too focused on themselves causing them to be blinded by the truth such as relationships and the government.