451 Blog

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a story in which a future is controlled by censorship, where firefighters burn books to keep the population from reading about the truth of things. However, Ray Bradbury's work isn't the only example of censorship and how it controls people's thoughts and actions. History has a handful of times governments and groups of people have censored certain areas of people's freedom.

Hugh Latimer was a bishop in England during the 1500s. However,  Latimer resigned in protest against the King's refusal to allow the Protestant reforms that Latimer desired. Soon after, Latimer and his friend Nicholas Ridley were arrested and burned at the stake. This is an example of censorship in early history that did not allow men to express their thoughts freely. Another example of censorship in history is the book burning in Nazi Germany in the 1930's. Much like in Fahrenheit 451, Germany was going through a major reform and government change in which much literature was thought was hurting nationalistic pride and German culture. This was a huge example of censorship denied the German people to read world literature and to allow reading what they wanted to. In both Fahrenheit 451 and Nazi Germany in the 1930's both had disturbing similarities with men forcing taking books and creating huge fires. Censorship has also come into modern history as well. In 1947, Hollywood made a "Blacklist" that checked directors and actors backgrounds if they had any ties or dealing with communist. If an individual was found guilty of this, Hollywood would refuse to publish their works. This is an extreme form of censorship since the privacy of a person is broken because of a government tie-up. This corresponds with Fahrenheit 451 since the government knew each person's background and denied them work opportunities if it was a problem.

Censorship in a whole isn't necessarily bad, however extreme versions of it have hindered humanities furtherance towards achievement. Both in the past and in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 has used censorship as a weight or weapon to control the minds of people as a whole.

Dark Literature and Censorship

Chris Crutcher's Deadline is a piece of "Dark Literature" that has been censored and even banned in some schools. Dark literature is real life experiences, usually evolving teens and problems with early adulthood. In the book, the main character has around one year to live since a deadly disease is found in him. When he lives out his bucket list live style, he discovers many problems of his town and people he has gotten to know. His girlfriend has been raped by her uncle when she was young and is raising her child in secrecy. His mom is an alcoholic who has trouble with maintaining her life. He has befriended the town's alcoholic bum who was once a priest. All these problems are very personal and can be related to teens who read the book, making it a difficult but inspiring read. Despite its strong contents, it helps readers come up with an understanding that everyone has a troubled past or is facing some sort of trouble. Teens more than anyone think that this relates to their lives the most. Schools have acknowledged this and have encouraged many students to read the book. However, since there is some language and situations that some find disturbing or unsettling, some schools have banned the book, leading to the argument of censoring it. Though some language is pretty rough, it hits the reader straight on and confronts the point directly, which is an excellent way in proving Crutcher’s point about the problem with racism, relationships, and most importantly, deciding to keep something from someone or telling the truth.

One Year to Live

If I was told by a doctor that a terrible virus was running rampant through my body, and that I had one year to live, I would travel to the places I have been and re-visit past memories/ friends. For the first month or two, I would travel to Cochranton, Pennsylvania. There, I would visit and tell the terrible news to my dad's side of the family and then I would catch up with my friends who went to Cochranton High School with me. After walking through the woods of my old house there, I would take a plane down to Orlando, Florida. There, I would go to Downey Christian School and take in the memories of one of my favorite schools that I have been too. I would inform my friends and teachers the news, but then recall all the great memories I shared down there. Spending a couple of weeks in Orlando, I would then travel to Upstate New York, to the small riverside town of Harrisville. Since I had lived there longer than Cochranton and Orlando, I would spend two months there. I would spend most of my time at my house spending time with my dad and step-mom. I would take long walks with my two favorite dogs, Sherman and Max, through the dense pine forests of our property. I would visit my old high school with all my friends and teachers there. I would attend my small church family and have relaxing Sunday mornings. Then moving back to Ohio, I would spend time with my mom's side of the family and visiting all my friends. For the last couple of months I'd have left on Earth, I would write a huge story of my life in a book that I would have saved for my future family too read.
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The Usless Tunnel

Though the tunnel itself was almost meaningless as symbolic in "Through the tunnel", the boy himself and the struggle with training and going through itself is very symbolic. In the beginning of the story, Jerry is going to a family beach with his mom. Though he is a only child and at the age of 11, he is very dependent of his mother and almost is childish in his curiosity with the more dangerous other beach. When visiting it, he encounters older boys swimming there, and desperately tries to hang with them and get their attention, which he fails at and cries about it. Then he discovers the tunnel that the boys were swimming through. He tries holding his breath and training to swim through it, while doing this he becomes more and more independent from his mother. At the end of the story, he barely manages to swim through, and has finally accomplished what he trained for. He sees the older boys on the beach, but doesn't want to be around them. This is very symbolic because it shows Jerry becoming of age. From a boy who needs his mother for security and shelter, he becomes almost a man when he finally swims through the tunnel, which was the journey of him becoming a man.

Super-Huge Mustard

As I wandering around the enormous aisles of Sam's Club, something very large and yellow caught my eye. I stared dumbstruck and was in awe as the glorious, three pound tub shinned its magnificence upon me. While soaking myself in its holy light, my life flashed before my eye with this marvelous product. I saw myself standing in a baseball stadium, a hotdog in one hand, the large tub of goodness between my knees. Then I see myself using the tub everyday on things I eat; hamburgers, fish salad, bologna sandwiches, fries & cheese, beans with chili, turkey with salami, rice and ground meat, and meat loaf. After that, I saw myself laying on the couch, in a dark room lighted by candles. A movie is running on the TV, and I am covered by a cozy blanket. The large tub of mustard lay on my chest, and I was eating out of it with a large spoon.



I shake out of my fantasies of the Super-Huge mustard and I am back at the aisle. I must buy this, no matter the cost! I glanced at the label of the hub, ready to make my move. Two-hundred forty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents, a respectable price for a product of that stature. I frantically open up my wallet but was horrified by the most grizzly of sights. All I was in possession of was four dollars, and a lonely nickel. A single tear ran down my check, and my fumbling hands drop my wallet to the ground. My dream would not come true today. All is lost. I stared at the relic of yellow gold in front of me for several hours until the store closed. The drive home was quiet and long. The sun was down and a light drizzle of rain made a very melancholy mood. I slumbered back into my house and sit down on the couch. As I flip on the television, a commercial for the Super-Huge mustard appeared instantly. Even there in the blackness of my room, I was engulfed by the bright yellow light of the mustard. I break down, and flip off the switch and head for the kitchen. Opening my refrigerator, I see an empty spot between the cabbage and the leftovers of last night's dinner. That was the empty throne that could of have been filled by the yellow container of greatness. I let out a great sigh, and with the last of my strength I drag myself up the stairs to the bedroom. I am too lazy to take off my clothes or get under the covers of my bed, and lay there silently observing the ceiling.