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Right to Genuine Knowledge

 Kang 2 Table of Contents Introduction............................................................................................................................4 All About Montag ..................................................................................................................4 Faber the Scared Lion ............................................................................................................5 Clarisse and Her Unique Views.............................................................................................6 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................7

 Kang 3 Outline I. Introduction II. All About Montag A. Passionate B. Impulsive C. Violent III. Faber the Scared Lion A. Timid B. Wise IV. Clarisse and Her Unique Views A. Original B. Unfitting with current environment V. Conclusion

 Kang 4 Sam Kang Mrs. Panks Genre Literature 23 May 2011 A Right to Genuine Knowledge Introduction My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee is a scripture from Hosea 4:6. The wisdom behind this scripture lies deeply inside three characters that are situated in a society completely set against knowledge in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The novel is based on a society that is digging its own tomb. They choose to reject learning and try to justify their decision with insufficient reasons. As a result, people lose their emotions and the capacity to think and wonder. Most are simply mesmerized by endless technological creations. Such creations like the television, which surrounds the entire parlor, are dominating the lifestyles of many innocent beings. The protagonist, Montag, reaches a realization after encountering his neighbor, Clarisse, and becomes determined to change the corrupted world. The ignorant society finally faces almost complete annihilation due to its nuclear war. All people have a right to genuine knowledge for a just social life, which is portrayed by the internal and external conflicts of Montag, Faber, and Clarisse. All About Montag Montag is an interesting figure for he is in contact with both opposing sides: Antiknowledge and Pro-knowledge. He starts off as a fireman whose job is to burn book for a living. Just like and other normal person, he is emotionless and dull. He barely has any

 Kang 5 conflicts for he is partially blind to what the world offers him. The society that he lives in has convinced him to fall to their virtues and their ways. All which lead to the mental destruction of mankind. That is, until he meets Clarisse. Clarisse becomes the glasses for his blindness and shows him the real world. She challenges him to numerous observations that he must struggle upon to grasp the true meanings behind them. Such are, I sometimes think drivers dont know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly, or Bet I know something else you dont. Theres dew on the grass in the morning. These observations may seem like obvious ones but they are actually far from obvious in Montags city. Ever since their encounter, Montags conflicts kick in. An internal warfare begins inside of him that cannot decide on what is right. He is constantly doubtful and confused. The passage, He felt his body divide itself into a hotness and a coldness, a softness and a hardness, a trembling and a not trembling, the two halves grinding upon the other. displays the internal state of Montage shortly after meeting Clarisse. However, as he continuously meets more people his thought begin to settle. Those people like Faber, Captain Beatty, and the woman who sacrifices herself for book, help Montag decide on which side he is on, which is the Proknowledge side. This decision creates distinct enemies for him, the entire government. He ends up killing Captain Beatty, his cruel leader, and is put on a dangerous chase where he has to run away from the city. The life of a human being is juxtaposed due to his will for the freedom of knowledge and to rid ignorance. How could that ever be justified? Faber the Scared Lion Another character that displays the need for a reformation is Faber. He is indirectly imprisoned in his home by the society. His beliefs are already firmly set so he cannot venture out into the world that is completely set against his ideas. Faber tells Montag, Mr. Montag, you are looking at a coward. I saw the way things were going, a long time back. I said nothing. Faber was a professor who was present when the world began to change. As he

 Kang 6 claims so himself, he denied the choice to speak up against the promotion of ignorance and is now leaving like a hermit. However, his life meets a positive twist when Montage approaches him. Faber, being the older mentor, helps to define Montags ideas and the two promise to start a journey to restore knowledge. Their plan is to plant books in firemens homes to cause confusion and internal conflicts among the government workers. This is intervened by the sudden chase after Montage, but it is not forgotten. Through Fabers conflicts of isolation from society and his internal fright from the world, it is again clarified that the society is ridiculous. Only a horribly small number of people like Faber, Clarisse, and Montag have struggles in their lives. The rest are prisoners of ignorance where all they need is absolutely nothing for happiness. It is even more horrifying that they have chosen this route and there is nothing or no one to blame. The voluntary captives lead unimaginable lives with no future. Clarisse and Her Unique Views The final character that adds to the persuasion that all humans need a right to knowledge is Clarisse. She does not appear much in the novel but her role is crucial. She is described as an odd one by the society when really she is normal. Her family is an influential factor in her life, which leads her to see the world in pure and untainted eyes. She is left out by others of her own age. Clarisse talks to Montag, Oh they dont miss me. Im antisocial, they say. I dont mix. She is shunned away and later she describes the chaotic environment of her friends. She says, Im afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always use to be like this? Mu uncle says no. What has a young teenage girl done wrong to endure so much? Yet, she takes it maturely and does not complain a bit. She knows that she is far from antisocial, far from odd, and nothing else but normal. She is a true pioneer in fighting through with her belief despite her surrounding discouragements. The fact that she overcame all those difficulties to boldly speak out to Montag, a fireman, is a sign of hope.

 Kang 7 Like Montag, people can be changes and awakened if they are rightly spoken to. People have the potential to change and realize theyre ignorant if and only if the authorities are brought down. Clarisse shows that the government itself can be brought down and knowledge brought back to the people. Conclusion In conclusion, the human desire for unlimited convenience leads to complete ignorance. No conflicts, no worries, no arguments to hinder a perfect day. The people are trying to evade trouble in general. The three characters that awaken from such a nightmare are now full of conflicts due to their realization. They must find a way to end the nightmare for the sake of humanity. This means that once again, troubles and hardships will be brought to people. It is however not valid to try and stop those hardships. Humans must endure through them to succeed but if those troubles are excluded from their lives, people will only stay the same. The civilization is not developing as it should be, but on the road backwards. A change is called for and there are saviors determined to bring the change. As they bring more and more people to knowledge, the new converts must take up the role as saviors. People must be told the good news that genuine knowledge exists and they can be saved from total destruction. Genuine knowledge is not only a right, but also a gift from others.

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Reference Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. Print.