451 Themes Flashcards
Independent versus Controlled Thought
It would be easy, and understandable, for readers to consider “Fahrenheit 451” as primarily a condemnation of censorship. It’s more appropriately argued, however, that its central issue, both narratively and thematically, has less to do with the controlling of thought and more to do with REACTIONS to that control. In other words, the narrative’s action and its themes are grounded in, and defined by, conflict arising between those who advocate and sustain independent thought (manifest in books) and those who devalue and suppress such thought, their actions manifest in the destruction of books. That conflict is dramatized in and defined by the experiences and actions of the central character, Guy Montag who, long before the narrative even begins, has experienced awakenings of independent thought and is confronted by the forces working to suppress both societal and personal experiences of what he is beginning to explore.
That confrontation is embodied and manifest in the characters of Beatty and Mildred, who represent the two primary reactions of those who accept controlled thought as the norm - in the case of the former, active destruction, and in the case of the latter, passive avoidance. What Montag does, as he undertakes his journey of transformation, defined by equal parts action and reaction, is come to an acceptance without necessarily completely understanding the power and importance of independent thought, feeling, and contemplation. It’s important to note, however, that at the end of the narrative, while Montag has completed one phase of his journey, he is about to embark on the next - a fuller investigation and integration of the new way of living, thinking, and being that he has only just begun to explore.
Humanity’s Capacity for Self-limitation
As the narrative explores its central theme (see above), it repeatedly incorporates a pair of contrasting secondary thematic motifs. The first motif, or repeated narrative/thematic image, relates to illustrations of how controlled thought manifests in society - specifically, to how humanity can, and often chooses to, limit itself in pursuit of happiness, conformity, and security. All are portrayed as ideals in the novel’s societal context, and all are portrayed as empty illusions. This thematic perspective is perhaps most vividly exemplified in the parlor, with its constant bombardment of mindless, sensation oriented entertainment (one wonders, when giving contemporary consideration to the type of programming offered by the parlor, how much pornography might make its way onto the living room walls of the nation) and propaganda. The parlor is safe, predictable, and stimulating — everyone gets their entertainment this way — it’s an exciting, but ultimately perfectly harmless, way of living.
The Ear Thimbles do the same sort of thing, providing a constant backdrop of foggy white noise within which individual feelings, reactions, experiences and perspectives disappear. It’s important to note, however, what the narrative thematically associates with this way of living, thinking, and being - emptiness and despair. These are manifest first by the various suicides and suicide attempts (including Mildred’s), and second by violence — to thought, to life and to body — violence perceived as both a necessary evil in order to perpetuate the illusion of happiness and safety and as an entertainment.
The Value of Courage
The second motif, or repeated narrative/thematic image, that the narrative employs as it considers its primary theme (the tension between independent and controlled thought) is that of courage - specifically, acts of bravery and rebellion defined and motivated by a powerful belief in the power of independent thought. Appearances of this motif contrast vividly and powerfully with manifestations of the self-limitation motif. The acts of destruction undertaken by Beatty are counterpointed, for example, by the quiet, determined defiance of the old woman. The acts of deliberate self-delusion undertaken by Mildred and her friends are juxtaposed with the cautious but strengthening courage discovered by Faber. For every revelation of societal suppression, there are the actions and attitudes of Clarisse, of Granger, and of the other learned men.
Finally, for all that the societal setting of the narrative attempts to establish itself as a kind of Utopia (i.e., land of ultimate happiness, there is Montag himself. His discomfort with the illusion of that happiness grows from something vague and subconscious into something definite and mindful. His allowance, acceptance, and embracing of that growth is in fact an act of rebellious internal courage that eventually externalizes and takes active shape. By the end of the narrative, he has begun to absorb the teachings and philosophies of Clarice, the old woman, Granger and the other learned men who, to use the novel’s metaphor, have carried burning torches of courage and faith into battle against enforced, manipulated docility, fighting instead for freely chosen, freely shaped independence of mind, body, and spirit.
xx
