Fahrenheit 451 Question 2

            The title of the novel I am reading is Fahrenheit 451.  This was written by Ray Bradbury.  The title is how it is because books burn at 451 degrees Fahrenheit.  The whole novel is about setting books ablaze because the government does not want people to be smarter than others.  I believe that there are two main conflicts in the novel, Montag versus the government and censorship versus freedom of speech. 

Montag versus The Government:
            Guy Montag is a firefighter who instead of putting out fires, he creates them.  He helps the government burn all the books they can find.  This also means he has to set the house on fire in which the owner was hiding books.  For awhile, Montag would grab a book before they burn them and hides it in his fireproof jacket.  We are able to see this sneaky act when they are called to burn down an elderly woman’s home.  “Now it plunged the book back under his arm, pressed it tight to sweating armpit, rushed out empty, with a magician's flourish! Look here! Innocent! Look!” (Bradbury 37)  After a couple of days, Montag shows Millie his secret stash of books in the ventilator.  The government forbids books to be read, yet Montag reads the illegal books.  In doing this feat, Montag rebels against the government by hiding the books.  He figured out that he needs to keep stealing the books and keep them alive.  Montag is fighting for books to be able to be read!

Censorship versus Freedom of Speech:

            Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 is about how the government is shielding people from gaining knowledge by burning books.  The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states that you are able say what you want, which is freedom of speech.  By setting all books ablaze, it forbids people to learn information to make them smarter than others.  People should be able to gain knowledge through books.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.