Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

 

Reviewed by Kenny Jeong, Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

 

Fahrenheit 451 is set in a dystopian society, sometime after the 21st century, which is a false utopia where books are symbols of dissent and threat. In this society there is a present irony which is firemen burning books and creating fires rather than putting them out. The setting serves to contrast with the main character Guy Montag who will later on go on to revolt against the standards and ethics of his society. Also, the dystopian society adds to the main themes and motifs of the novel which is the identification and analysis of a false utopia.

The Novel is set in a utopian society and we are taken throughout the whole story through the perspective of Guy. The whole theme of the story is similar to that of George Orwell's 1984  or the Giver. Guy, a fireman in the society that destroys books, starts to find the truth about novels and has a spark of doubt and rebellion in him. As a result Guy starts to collect books secretly and attempts to convert his wife and her friends to his side. Ultimately he goes on to find those with a similar view and goes on a dangerous journey to find the truth out of the false utopian society. As we are taken throughout the novel, we are introduced to many new characters, especially a girl named Clarisse who is the ignition of Guy Montag's change in character and emotions. Rad Bardbury relies on logic and realistic examples to play the story out. Unlike a fantasy or a complete fictional novel, Fahrenheit 451 seems plausible. Considering the era I live in and the technology present in my era. The story of Fahrenheit 451 does not seem too far off from what reality could be. However, the story, I believe may be plausible in a society such as North Korea where dictatorship is the prime rule and anything that questions it is eliminated. 

Overall, the novel was an experience for a reader to go through a dissenting minority's perspective to understand and see the transformation that takes place. The author's intention which was to demonstrate the effects of a dystopian society on human character and societal behavior as a whole was successful due to his harmonization of plot, character, and setting

Kenny Jeong

Period 3