Essay on theme in Fahrenheit 451
Imagine a world where books are against the law, and people live in fear every day from the knowledge that is inside books? Knowledge is in books, and it can be extracted from it so people can gain knowledge and power from learning what is good and what not is good. In Fahrenheit 451 books are out casted by society and people are scared of the knowledge the books hold within. Also in Fahrenheit 451 the firemen in this book burn books so people won’t have to live in fear anymore. Ray Bradbury shows how knowledge is power through characters like Montag, Faber, and Beatty.
In Fahrenheit 451 not only is Montag a fireman who is supposed to burn books but realizes it is wrong to do that, but he is also the narrator of the story as well. When the firemen were burning Montag’s house down, he realizes that not only is it important to save his life, but to save knowledge as well. “Montag took the four remaining books and hopped, jolted, hopped his way down the alley” (122). This action that Montag does portrays his love for the books and how he went back and saved the books because he knew there was something inside the books that was good to gain knowledge from. Montag was a brave character and did anything he could to save the intelligence hiding in the books.
Faber in the story is Montags so called “guide” in Fahrenheit 451, and he is also a professor that used to teach from books before he retired and books weren’t against the law and actually helped people learn instead of hiding from the truth inside books. He tells Montag to do in certain situations and how to handle them. When Montag brings Faber the bible, Faber is willing to do anything to have it. “I’d give my right arm” (88). Faber extremely loves books and he wants the bible because he knows the knowledge that is inside of it. The bible, though, was one of the most illegal books in their society, but it contains culture and religion.
Beatty on the other hand is not a good character. He is the head officer at the Fire station and he is not tolerant at all when it comes to books. When he sets fire to Montag’s house because he is hiding books, Beatty will do anything to stop him. “You think you can walk on water with your books” (118). This is an allusion from the bible when Jesus walks on water. When Beatty goes on and says this quote, he literally means that he thinks Montag thinks he’s better than everyone else because his books gives him so called “power and knowledge”. Beatty would’ve actually burnt the bible with all the history and knowledge contained in there, so it’s a good thing Montag stopped him.
Without knowledge, no one could figure out how to do anything, that’s why Ray Bradbury shows that knowledge is power and it is what it is. Montag, Faber, and Beatty do an excellent job of showing how knowledge can be used as power by either saying what the books mean or by saving books and show what they really mean. Ray Bradbury shared this theme with everyone to get people to read books, and not just skim through them, but to go into detail and go head over heels for them. Think about it, without knowledge, where would anyone be in life today? Without power in life, nothing is possible, and by doing nothing gaining knowledge is impossible.