Values Of The Educated Few Versus The Ideals Of An...

Jared Kiker Greene American Lit. 2nd 2 April 2015 Ideals of Society in Fahrenheit 451 The ideals of the educated few versus the ideals of an uneducated majority , and how they majority is oppressed in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. In a society where books are made illegal the majority of people are uneducated, and technology has replaced common knowledge. Owning books is a crime in this society, and all books are burned by firemen when they are discovered, preventing a vast majority of past knowledge from being carried into the future. The society greatly resembles a Marxist community, with the government heavily censoring what the public sees, and destroying everything the government does not want†¦show more content†¦Being a fireman was a respected profession in Montag’s society, and the government did not affect his life decision (Lukes). Another idea is that Montag took the job just to pay for the living expenses of him and his wife. However although this is a very plausible view it is also unlikely, because if not for the government the profession of being a fireman would not even be an option, and Montag probably would not agree with government censorship if not for government censorship showing him what they want him to believe (Bradbury P.20). Therefore Guy Montag only believed what the government wanted him to believe, and only did what he did because of the Marxists ideas of his society preventing him from freely thinking. In addition to that, within the society of Fahrenheit 451 all who attempt to expand their own knowledge are shunned, because they are going against the government, and society. The shunning of intellectuals is shown by this quote from the novel,â€Å"With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knower’s, and imaginative creators, the word intellectual, of course, became the swear word it deserved to be† (Br adbury). This is similar to a Marxist society, due to the heavy government censorship of what the public sees, and how people are shunned for their opposition to the government. The