Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction novel set in a future where the human races need for consumption of media has taken over. A world where speed limits on motorways are minimum speed limits to ensure nobody is stopping to smell the flowers, or thinking too much.

The protagonist, Guy Montag, is a fireman, whose occupation consists of confiscating and burning books as literature is now illegal to own. He meets a strange young girl, “seventeen and crazy”, who wonders aloud about everything, and an old woman who would rather die with her books than live without them. Between these two characters Guy realises that he is unhappy living in such an obscure society, bombarded with new information whilst censoring any old information in the name of peace and public happiness.

I believe that Fahrenheit 451 is an impactful novel due to the subjects of censorship and consumerism that it explores. The idea that we have built a society that profits off of ignorance and uneducated people is still an important subject in this day and age as many young people will put down a book in favor of scrolling through TikTok or Instagram. I myself have seen this amongst my peers, many of which haven’t read a single novel since the mandatory ‘An Inspector Calls’ and ‘Of Mice and Men’ studied for GCSE English.

However, social media is a powerful tool, with many influencers using their platforms to speak out about subjects such as discrimination, injustice and violence in an effort to educate and change minds. One recent example of this is TikTok’s ‘Filter for Good’ that has raised over $15,000 for civilians in Gaza experiencing unimaginable horrors. This filter showcases the power of using a social media platform to create a positive impact simply by asking users to participate in a trend.

A relatively satirical point that must be made about this book is the censorship of it. Many publishers have censored various parts of the novel due to violent themes and vulgar language. The book has also received backlash from parents and teachers alike, banning it from school curriculums at times because of it’s difficult subject matter. By now, many have seen the irony in this attempt to silence this piece of literature and have fought to undo the damage. This book brings a deeper understanding to the need for free information, available for all who seek it, and hope in knowledge.