Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a Dystopian novel that takes place in a society where books are banned. The belief that books make people less happy because of the potential opinions humans can create is the reason for why books are banned. Because books are seen as an enemy to society, they are burned by firemen. Guy Montag, a protagonist who works as a fireman, challenges the idea of the value books bring to individuals, as he is compelled to salvage a book one day. Montag is initially challenged by Clarisse McClellan for his happiness, which leads him to ponder over what he is missing in his life. He finds fulfillment in reading books and embarks in a new path with the value of books.
Ray Bradbury’s imagined world where books are banned leads me to wonder how my life would be like without books. From a very young age, I found myself being immersed into books and the world created by writers. My initial challenge with connecting to books was my reading comprehension because my brain could not process reading English or Spanish on a physical paper. Once I got the hang of comprehending books, my imagination boomed. I could not credit writers enough for the amazing childhood that I had. From reading the Froggy series, to the Junie B Jones series, to the Wayside Stories series, to the Dork Diaries series, my childhood would not have been as memorable as I would imagine it to be without books. As I have gotten older, I acknowledge reading has not made me as happy… listen…. its not the writers fault! It’s the world becoming more and more complex and brutal. We can touch on all of the sadness and pain this world is enduring in this blog post- but I’d rather just let you know that reading about how many sad things happen today- I’d say ignorance is bliss for those who do not read about current events or read textbooks. But seriously, I still find grand value in reading! Without books, I believe my ignorance would definitely be bliss. With books, I have been able to observe and learn more about our world. Insight on the way our world has functioned, functions, and will function in the future is the value books have brought to me. Needless to say, Montag and I both feel a sense of happiness and fulfillment in certain aspects because of books. The world would definitely be dull without them (contrary to what the dystopian society believes).
emelycastrejon 