Themes

__Themes__
**Censorship**: In the novel Fahrenheit 451 books are banned from society. The author never states why the books are banned; instead suggest causes such as loud music, fast cars, booming entertainment, and huge advertisements. Bradbury describes that the people started reading less and less books and soon forget about them all together. Bradbury implies that the reason society has stopped reading books was because they are speeding their way through life. In the novel Fahrenheit everything is about entertainment; people don’t leave their televisions. It is literally impossible seeing as though they are on every wall.

Throughout the novel there is a lot of tension between ignorance and knowledge. Montag believes that knowledge will provide happiness; while the other firefighters disagree. The firemen encourage ignorance. They burn books with an enormous amount of knowledge written in them. . Clarisse, the elder woman, and Faber all agree with Montag; ignorance is not the way to live. When Montag finally realizes that knowledge can make life more complete he turns away from ignorance and encourages others to do the same. Montag reads poetry to his wife's friends, although it is illegal, and although they become upset. One became emotional and Montag felt that the poetry had an impact on her life.
 * Knowledge vs. Ignorance: **

There are many paradoxes between life and death in the novel Fahrenheit 451. In the beginning of the novel Montag’s wife, Millie attempts suicide. As soon as Montag realizes what was happening he immediately calls for help. The medical team arrives and they bring back Millie’s life. Montag learns that suicide is very common, and happens all the time. He feels empty; he doesn’t know whether or not he would be sad if his wife died. Both the tool used to save Millie’s life and the Mechanical Hound represent animals that appear to be living. Montag wonders whether they are really alive or if they are dead. Throughout the novel many characters die. Clarisse was hit by a car, the elder woman burns herself to death, Montag kills Beatty, and an innocent man is killed in the end by the Mechanical Hound. In the end Montag is still living and is given a new life. While Montag is given a new chance for a new life, the city and everyone in it is destroyed. Knowledge saved him.
 *  Life vs. Death: **