Importance Of Books In Fahrenheit 451

Imagine a society in which books are nonexistent, where it is impossible for someone to spend an evening losing himself, or herself, in an enticing novel. This situation is made real in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where it is illegal to have and read books. In the society of Bradbury’s book, if a person is caught owning books, his or her house and belongings could be burned down by the likes of Guy Montag, a fireman in Bradbury’s novel. Due to the ban on books, the people in this society are distant in their emotions and thoughts. The absence of books in the society make people ignorant in their decision making and way of living. Books became illegal in Montag’s society because they made people different, which is viewed as dangerous to their wellbeings. Despite this reason, books should be kept in society and not be eradicated. The people in Montag’s society don’t think and feel like the people in today’s society do. Mildred, who is Montag’s wife, spends most of her time taking in mindless media. She is so consumed by the parlor walls and the Seashells that she no longer spends time with her husband. When asked,
Books can cause a disruption in peace and the wellbeing of the people who read books. They make people different from one another, and many individuals may view differences to be dangerous. Captain Beatty explains this phenomenon when he says, “‘Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against’” (Bradbury 58). In spite of this reasoning, books should not be banned. If there is nothing for people to judge themselves against, they have no way of knowing if they are their best selves. With no “better” person, there is no guide for improvement. This makes the people in Montag’s society stuck in a place where they have no desire to read books because they have no idea how great books make a