What is the theme/message from Fahrenheit 451 and what is the universal appeal?

Question

I have been reading Fahrenheit 451 for school and i just cant figure out what the message and universal appeal is.

Please Help!!

Thanks :-)

Answer 1

It's about knowledge and ignorance. The people are simple minded and uniform. It's important to remember people that left their mark on the past through their books.

Answer 2

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...

Answer 3

I did a project on it this year so I'll copy paste it for you (this isn't from the internet, it's actually all by me)

Theme

Literature/Knowledge

• Cannot compete with technology

• Books for ‘burning’

• Books raise questions  make people think

• Digs into meaning

• Clarify unlike the parlor walls

• Lets you explore ideas

• Knowledge can prevent man from making the same mistakes

• Record info

• Remind us of mistakes “books are to remind us  what asses and fools we are” pg.86

 Knowledge prevents us from being a phoenix

• Worth risking your life for (example: Montag)

• No thinking = more time for walls or pointless activities

Mankind/Individuality

• Lack of individuality

• Do what others do (AKA sheep)

• ‘different’ people are looked down upon

• being similar to others ‘comforting’

• don’t want to take risks

• they can’t/don’t want to solve problems (afraid)

• no free speech

• government ‘thinks’ for them

• ignorant

• phoenix like

• have ability and mind for thinking but don’t try

Technology

• Everywhere (part of everyday life)

• Government shows what they want through technology (walls)

• No time to think since technology replaces time for thinking

• Everyone’s life the same through technology

• Takes time out of life

• No family time

• More ‘Mildred’s’ and less ‘Clarisse’s’

• Put seashells in ears to escape everyday life

• No thinking = more time for walls or pointless activities

• Causes depression  suicide (example: Mildred)

Censorship/government

• Government afraid people will rebel or get offended

• Government does not want danger through books

• Formatting the peoples minds

• Use the walls, hound, firemen to control what people think or act

• Keeping people happy, letting them see what they want to “hold their audience only so long” (pg.148)

• Demolishing peoples free will and abilities to expand mind

• Once one group ‘thinks’ or objects to something to a book, the book gets edited or modified and even banned all together

• “Coloured people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it.” Pg. 59