TürkçeHonestly, I don’t even know where to start writing. There is an ocean of topics to be said and discussed about this book. However, I will not be analyzing the book in this piece, as I unfortunately lack the expertise to dissect such a masterpiece. Still, I will share some key points about the book and explain why you should read it. I hope this recommendation will be helpful to you.
As some of you may already know, Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopia. For those unfamiliar with the term “dystopia,” let me briefly explain. A dystopia refers to a future that one fears may come true. This is the most straightforward definition I can offer. Other notable examples of this genre include 1984 and Brave New World. While Fahrenheit 451 may not be as famous as these works, it certainly enjoys respectable recognition. It is also a beloved piece of literature.
In recent years, its popularity has grown in our country, thanks to İthaki’s( a famous Turkish publisher) Science Fiction Classics series. It can now be considered a well-known book, just like the others in the series. In my opinion, every sensible person should read such a treasure because there is much to learn from it.
Importance of Being Human
Do you enjoy thinking? Do you take pleasure in creating or imagining new things? I’m certain many of us do. A monotonous life, akin to that of a robot or an animal, simply isn’t for us. Yet, in this book set in the future, people do not think. Yes, you read that right—they don’t think, nor do they ponder over anything. Why would they? After all, they weren’t raised to. The state doesn’t want people who think or question. Thinking and questioning make the populace uneasy and fearful. What they desire is happiness, the kind of bliss that ignorance brings.
While reading the book, we, as readers, find ourselves questioning this too: Is ignorance truly bliss? Or should we choose to read books even if it means facing discomfort and unhappiness? Are books genuinely that important and valuable? What do they really contain? Guy Montag finds himself wrestling with these very questions. But who is Guy Montag? He is a fireman whose job is to start fires. Yes, you read that correctly. In this future world, buildings are completely fireproof. Firefighters no longer extinguish fires; instead, they seek out books and burn them. Their mission is to eliminate these objects that supposedly cause misery and ensure peace and safety. To the public, they are heroes.
Firefighters and the End
But what do these men do when they aren’t burning books? They spend their time playing cards and what about ordinary citizens? They do nothing but watch television. The youth are reckless and indifferent. Cars are fast and exceedingly comfortable, which is why no one bothers to walk anywhere. Ray Bradbury even wrote a short story about this, and I’d recommend you give it a read as well.
Apart from these examples, the book doesn’t delve deeply into the regime or the technology of this future world. Instead, it focuses on a central theme: what kind of future awaits us if books are no longer read? And it explores this idea with exceptional success. When we come to the end we do not find anything. The final is uncertain and we do not know what happened the Guy Montag. This is the ruthless rule of sci-fi.
Quotes From Book
“We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?”
“There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”
References:
- Fahrenheit 451 Quotes by Ray Bradbury. (n.d.). https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1272463-fahrenheit-451