What Is The Message In Fahrenheit 451

In the introduction of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Neil Gaiman states, “Ideas- written ideas- are special. They are the way we transmit our stories and our thoughts from one generation to the next,” (Gaiman XV). This novel is about a dystopian society that has completely opposed this concept of written ideas. The protagonist, Montag, goes through multiple trials and transformations until he reaches the crossing or return threshold, where he gains the will to share his newfound wisdom with the world. Montag’s journey reflects the message and theme Ray Bradbury conveys: the opposition to censorship, and how controlled our world will become if we do not take action.
In the beginning, Guy Montag is oblivious of the issues of his society. He then becomes conflicted between his current outlooks and the new ideas he has learnt from his neighbor, Clarisse. Montag comes to realize that something is wrong with his life when
Upon burning his house and Beatty to rid of problems, Montag concludes, “You must remember, burn them or they’ll burn you,” (Bradbury 117). The realization that Montag had to do what was needed to ensure a better future for his society is the ultimate boon. Beatty was in the way of Montag’s rebellion against censorship and overall rules. Montag was willing to persevere and and go as far murder to protect the value of books and his newfound belief that they have the potential to give back meaning to life.
In the novel Fahrenheit 451, author Ray Bradbury uses Montag’s transformation as a result of his conflict with his dystopian society to convey his message against censorship. The conflicts Montag has with his perspective, profession, and will were able to elicit this. Ray Bradbury wrote this book to warn readers of the consequences of their actions, should they choose not to change like Montag