The Reality Of Freedom Essay, Research Paper

In the book Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, there are many thematic issues that revolves around a man named Guy Montag. The issues spread from truth and reality to the importance of the written word to a free society. Montag lives in a society that frowns upon the free thinker. He works as a fireman, who no longer put out fires they start them. In the story, books are now outlawed and it is the firemen s job to dispose of them. The best way express these issues in the society can be summed down to one word censorship. The following paragraphs contents will range from truth to freedom.

Truth is one the most important aspects of this book. The people of Montag s society are being left in the dark by the societies government. Most of the people have learned to accept this and don t know or even care. One truth that is out-lawed to the people is books. People who break this law get arrested or in some cases are burned with the books. Montag find truth about himself in the books. The truth that there is more to life. The irony is all the lies he must tell to discover the truth. Montag discovers that the truth is out there, in the books and it will open people s minds to reality.

Without the sight of truth there could never be freedom. In many ways Montag s society feels free because they can do most anything they want (with exception of reading books) but were does freedom lie the day one disides to read or speak their mind. In another point of view truth could take away ones freedom. In the story, the breech of Montag s freedom happens when he looks to his books for the truth. The reality of freedom is there is no complete freedom, so therefore there it no reality. The only true freedom is in the mind and even then the freedom is limited. Montag s government controls even the minds, in many ways, of the people think through TV. It is not at all that far off from our society. Many people don t see the reality of freedom.

Censorship is the conection to truth and freedom. The censorship created by Montag s society has made a prison in witch all the prisoners have no idea. All the people care about is TV and their jobs.