華氏451度

Title: Fahrenheit 451
Author: Bradbury, Ray (1920 - )
Thorndike, Me. : G.K. Hall, 1997, the 40th anniversary edition
227 p. (large print) ; 24 cm
Read by: 05/07/2009, borrowed from WBPL
Genre: Sci Fic

“Guy Montag, a fire-fighter and book-burner for the State of a totalitarian regime in a future time, discovers that in order to remain human he must preserve the books that attest to his humanity. About ignorance and knowledge, about censorship and freedom, about being controlled and emptiness…

After the bombing of the city, Granger compares mankind to a phoenix that burns itself up and then rises out of its ashes over and over again. Man’s advantage is his ability to recognize when he has made a mistake, so that eventually he will learn not to make that mistake anymore. Remembering the mistakes of the past is the task Granger and his group have set for themselves. They believe that individuals are not as important as the collective mass of culture and history. The symbol of the phoenix’s rebirth refers not only to the cyclical nature of history and the collective rebirth of humankind but also to Montag’s spiritual resurrection.”

This book and The Handmaid Tale are of similar subject. Fahrenheit 451 is better written, my opinion. I see it as a social criticism. After 911, the theme even carries political meaning. The history repeats itself from time to time - human minds were controlled and washed by means of mass media and national horror of external threat. The writing also explored the noble purpose of literature. With it, we are painful and “odd”; Without it, we are machines operated by others. Ignorance is stupidity, denying ignorance is a sin.

Main characters:

Guy Montag, a third-generation fireman who suddenly realizes the emptiness of his life and starts to search for meaning in the books he is supposed to be burning. Though he is sometimes rash and has a hard time thinking for himself, he is determined to break free from the oppression of ignorance. He quickly forms unusually strong attachments with anyone who seems receptive to true friendship. His task in the Book People (lead by Grander) is to memorize the Book of Ecclesiastes

Mildred Montag, Montag’s brittle, sickly looking wife, who left Montag when their house was burned because of his hidden books

Clarisse McClellan, 17 year old girl who opened Montag’s eyes and mind with innocence and curiosity

Faber, An English professor, readily admits that the current state of society is due to the cowardice of people like himself. He berates himself for being a coward, but he shows himself capable of acts that require great courage and place him in considerable danger

Captain Beatty, the captain of Montag’s fire department. Although he is himself extremely well-read, paradoxically he hates books and people who insist on reading them. He is cunning and devious, and so perceptive that he appears to read Montag’s thoughts.

Granger, the leader of the “Book People,” the group of hobo intellectuals Montag finds in the country. Granger is intelligent, patient, and confident in the strength of the human spirit. He is committed to preserving literature through the current Dark Age.