Book Commentary - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Let me first say that, while it may seem odd to include book commentaries in a blog meant to chronicle my learning experiences as a woman with many hats, for me, it makes sense. I think it is important to include life-long learning in the balance of what it means to be a wife, a mother, and an individual, and for me that means reading...a lot. It has always been one of my hobbies, and in college it became my love and my temporary vocation. While I ultimately decided to pursue a life outside of the liberal arts (kind of), I still value its importance more than anything else in education.

Instead of doing book reviews, which, especially for this book, would be kind of pointless, I thought I'd just reflect on how the book impacted me, and in this way, maybe I can encourage others to read it as well. With that being said, here is my first book commentary...

It may be surprising that this is the first book I'm discussing on this blog. I realize most people read this in high school, but somehow, through all the English classes I took in K-12 and college, I never read it until now. Without really even knowing what it was about, I thought it might be good for me to read this staple of American literature, and thank goodness for that. It may be short and slightly odd, but it's a gem! I also feel like this was a great time for me to read it based on what's going on in my life right now. Here are some of the ideas I took away from Fahrenheit 451:

The Liberal Arts are Important!

"'School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored. Life is immediate, the job counts, pleasure lies all about after work. Why learn anything save pressing buttons, pulling switches, fitting nuts and bolts?" (p.53)

 

"'Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs or the names of state capitals or how much corn Iowa grew last year. Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving."' (p. 58)

I know I mentioned this earlier as a firm belief of mine, but this book solidified that for me. In fact, it made me want to abandon higher education and go work for the National Endowment for the Arts. Haha! For those of you who have read this book, you know that this book highlights the implications of a society that places technology and pleasure above liberal arts. What's scary to me is that I see our current society moving in that direction now. People are forgetting the importance of the more abstract subjects in the pursuit of international competition, and on top of that, are trying to put things like reading into an analytical box through the rigid format of standardized testing.

Know that You're Alive

 

"'I don't talk things, sir,' said Faber. 'I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive.'" (p. 71)

 

"'I hate a Roman named Status Quo!' he said to me. 'Stuff your eyes with wonder,' he said, 'live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories, Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, there never was such an animal. And if there were, it would be related to the great sloth which hangs upside down in a tree all day every day, sleeping its life away. To hell with that,' he said, 'shake the tree and knock the great sloth down on his ass."' (pp. 150-151)

 

I think its easy to drift through life, comfortable and complacent. It sounds pleasant, but is that truly living? For me, truly living means pursuing things that challenge me, rebelling against certain societal expectations, and enjoying even the small things that surround me. I think the second quote is a good one to keep in mind. Don't be a sloth.

 

 



The Mindless Pursuit of Pleasure Can Negatively Impact All Areas of Our Lives

 

"'I've had two children by Caesarean section. No use going through all that agony for a baby. The world must reproduce, you know, the race must go on. Besides, they sometimes look just like you, and that's nice. Two Caesareans turned the trick, yes, sir. Oh, my doctor said, Caesareans aren't necessary; you've got the hips for it, everything's normal, but I insisted."' (p. 92)

 

 

This was also eerily similar to a trend we see happening today. Despite the fact that C-sections are major surgery, more and more women are choosing to have them when they don't need to, rather than "suffer" through any sort of vaginal birth. As a proponent of natural birth, I'm sure you're all aware that I'm not a fan of this mindset...judge me if you want...but I think it's clear here that this is a strong example of the type of selfish and mindless behavior that can result from pursuing pleasure and comfort over all else. Please note: I'm not saying that anyone who has had a C-section is a horrible person. They are a necessary form of birth for many reasons and I don't judge, at all, anyone who has had to have one.

 

Regardless of this however, I'm not highlighting this quote to debate C-sections, but rather found it to be a great example of where the pursuit of mindless, selfish pleasure can have a negative impact on your life and/or the lives of others. You see this throughout the book in the way people treat others and in the disappearance of things like love.

 

 

After reading Fahrenheit 451, I feel a renewed sense of watchfulness regarding my attitude and behavior. If you haven't already done so, read this book and experience a reawakening of what it means to truly live.