A little help with Fahrenheit 451?!?

Question

Beatty tells Montag that firemen are "custodians of peace of mind" and that they stand against "those who want to

make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought." How well are the firemen accomplishing these

objectives? Are conflicting ideas the only source of unhappiness in their society? What other sources might there

be? Can conflicting ideas exist even without books that have been destroyed and outlawed?

Answer 1

From what I remember of this book, this "Utopia" had firemen that burned books, because they wanted to keep the society from thinking and feeling emotions. Books make you feel different emotions. People in this society are unhappy, but don't realize it. For example, Montag's wife took a bottle of sleeping pills, to make her fall asleep. That's because when you lie down at night, you begin to think. And she did not want to think. The firemen help keep the people from thinking. If they find out someone has a book in their house, then they burn the house down, and the books. Books are the key! They are trying to delete past history, and create their own. In this novel, conflicting ideas can't exist, because the gov't has the people on a short leash. And anyone who disagrees with that "disappears." "Fahrenheir 451" is a social commentary. Bradbury wanted people in the '50s to look at the society and where it would be heading, if they kept spending their time around the tv, not reading books. And always wanting a faster way to do things. I hope you like the book, because it's a great piece of literature.

Answer 2

dude i remember when i read that book. i just did it for fun cause it sounded intresting. but dude that book is whack it dont make sense at all. just put it down and leave.

Answer 3

think....the books didn't write themselves did they! and the people who actually read the books (although not many in that town did) are going to remember what they learned from the books. Therefore the damage is already done. They can tell others. So what are they going to do next? Kill those who read the books to keep them from expressing their ideas - it is ludicrous! We have the right to decide what is right from wrong for us. When that is taken away, we lose our freedom. People who join cults give up that right. Charles Manson said "thinkin' is stinkin' and look what those people did for him.

And the firemen were simply doing their jobs.

  

Answer 4

I'm not going to do your homework for you, but...  

1. they will never completely eliminate free thought

2. no, the lack of freedom also makes them unhappy

3. authority trying to make everyone conform

4. yes, people's minds cant be burned like books.

Now read the book, it's really cool.  One of my all time favorites.  The scene with his wife in soap opera huge TV screen is almost coming true now.  Truth is stranger than fiction.  Reality keeps catching up to science fiction.

Answer 5

yeah, you really need to answer those questions yourself.  if your teacher is cool, then the answers to those questions will be approaching a matter of opinion.  

what is most important, however, is to take a good look at that book, really analyze it and realize how rapidly we are approaching becoming such a mindless society.  all you need do is look at da dude's answer and you can see that is evident - mindless, uneducated and thoroughly unintelligent.

if you have not already, read 1984 and brave new world.  i found them frightening.  i hope you learn from your reading.  think about it.  the answers to those questions are really easy.

Answer 6

Today's US society is a valid example. The firemen are only successful in that they are able to continue to force the wishes of the ruling elite down the people's throats. But if the firemen were gone, the people would quickly rise up against the tyranny. The firemen's success, much like that of today's omnipotent right-wing media, is at all times just temporary.

It isn't conflicting ideas that are the source of the unhappiness, rather the unhappiness is causing the conflicting ideas. The people are, at the very least, subconsciously aware that they are repressed and unfulfilled. The conflicting thought is that, in spite of reality, the government is telling them that they are happy and fulfilled.

The confliciting thoughts result as the manifestation of the conflict between human reality and government repression. The purpose of books is to give that reality perspective. Much like today where we are all constantly on the lookout for "evil socialists," yet few people have ever read a book written by Trotsky, Marx or Lenin. Even though the majority of the people know that the government is lying to them, and they know that the Iraq war is an illegal act of imperialism, and they know that the super-rich are s******g them over at every turn, they continue to rally against the very type of government that is designed to fight for their interests. Without books, the conflict will always exist; but perspective is destroyed.

Answer 7

I'm not answering your summer reading questions for you.

Answer 8

what is up with all these people saying that they wont answer your question because its homework if your not going to answer dont answer it but no one cares why,

the questions are all opinion so just BS them also that book is wack

Answer 9

Have a look at these study guides.  A couple of the links discuss significant quotes from the book.  The guides should give you some ideas about your question and help you with your work with this novel.  Also do a search for the novel title here on Yahoo Answers and you will find that many other questions have been asked about it, and those questions and answers should be of help to you.

http://www.literary-quotations.com/f/fah...

http://classiclit.about.com/od/fahrenhei...

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/451/

http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/t...

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitN...

http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Fahren...