Fahrenheit 451: A Literary Analysis

Fahrenheit 451 is set in a horrible, yet very possible, dystopian world. The setting is very undesirable because everyone thinks that books are bad so they have prohibited all of them. Everyone has this Belief because over time it has been convinced that books only bring sorrow. Most people have forgot about books and their importance, but the people who haven’t forgotten try to sneak books into their homes only to then have their homes burned, sometimes with them in it. Books are valuable, worth the time and effort, and in Montags’ world books are considered dangerous.

In the fictional novel "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, the two character Montag and Clarisse, lived in the future where the government is corrupted. As time evolve and the world is changing, the sense of logic become twisted in this society. The world in "Fahrenheit 451" is a place where the idea of "firemen put fires out" appeared to be "long ago" (Bradbury 25). Firemen in this society no longer put out fire, but instead going to start them. The action of a firemen spraying "kerosene" over burning fire is described as an "amazing conductor playing all the symphonies" suggest that this society is twisted (Bradbury 2).

Books come with a variety of information whether helpful or entertaining. Many times books teach readers along with those who seek to gain knowledge. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, "Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst. " The basic meaning behind his wise words include the idea that books bring knowledge and keep history along with important information such as science, culture, art, and other ideals being the cornerstone for generations now and to come to learn from the past.

These three reasons are why animals were too scared to overthrow him and to be free from his rule. One example of how Napoleon stays in charge is Animalism. Animalism was meant to be set in place keeping any animal from having more power than the others. Napoleon uses this to his advantage by having a basic first set of commandments which is “reduced to… ‘Four legs good, two legs bad.’

The animals did not get the privilege of eating the apples or drinking the milk because Napoleon gave himself power by saying if we do not get this then Jones would come back. The pigs would not have failed without apples and milk they just wanted the animals to think that. The second example was stopping debated so Jones would not come back. “If the holding of the debates on Sunday mornings was liable to bring him back, then the debates must stop (Doc C).” Holding debates would not actually make Jones come back but Napoleon made the animals think it would.

The pigs took away rights and lives of their own citizens as did the Soviet’s, which helps teach what the book was trying to show that when these political figures gain such power, that they should not use it to only their advantage but to everyone’s. This can be represented at the end of the book when Napoleon has a meeting with humans and starts to resemble the humans exactly. This is because Napoleon used his power for his own well-being like the humans and eventually resembled one. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” pg.124 The image of the pigs appearance is tarnished by the way the pig treated his citizen as did Stalin.

Napoleon made a substantial impact on the way the animals reacted to their new hardships. The pigs, including Napoleon, are said to be the most intelligent animals on the farm, but unlike the others, Napoleon uses it to manipulate the

In Animal Farm, George Orwell warns how power will often lead to corruption. Napoleon was placed in a position of power after Major died, and he slowly starts to lavish in his power and become addicted to the lush life of a dictator. When Napoleon first becomes a leader, he expresses how everyone will work equally, but as his reign goes on, he shortens the work hours. At the very end of the novel, the observing animals even start to see that pig and man had become the same. The irony present in the above example, illuminates how regardless of how much a ruler promises to maintain equality and fairness, the position of power that they hold, will corrupt them.

Juan Solis Writing Style in Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury’s style in Fahrenheit 451 is unique, and it helps add to the story’s atmosphere and tone. Bradbury structures his sentences in such a way that it makes the described situation feel heavier, and more meaningful. His vocabulary adds a rich sense of imagery, this is also combined with his use of figurative language throughout, compliments it further. These things come together to form a type of style that’s powerful, bizarre, and even confusing at times.

The second tactic that Napoleon uses is loyalty to the farm. The quote shows that the animals are loyal to the farm by upkeeping the farm in which they do it for themselves, “All that year the animals worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves…” (Orwell 73). The quote proves that the pigs worked the other animals like slaves.

Furthermore, Napoleon gives the other animals the impression he was the sole leader of the rebellion on Animal farm and makes Snowball -a leader who wanted what was best for the animals- seem like an enemy who was in cahoots with Farmer Jones since long before the animals took over the farm. Napoleon and Squealer (another “fat cat” pig.) always put the blame on Snowball whenever something went wrong in the farm to avoid having the blame fall on them. Napoleon is an exemplary example of just how selfish and hypocritical people can be in furthering their own aims because he continued to subtly but purposely change the seven rules put in place as the pillars of animalism. For example, Napoleon and the other pigs move into Farmer Jones’s house and sleep in his bed after commanding “No animal shall sleep in a bed”, so he changes the commandment to read “no animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets”.

Annotated Works Cited Eller, Edward E. " An overview of Fahrenheit 451. " Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2014.

The animals start recognizing Napoleon for any good achievement done that day. For example, one of the hens recognizes Napoleon for just one stroke of good fortune. “Under the leadership of our Leader Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days…”(78). These poor animals are tricked into thinking that everything good that happens is due to “Comrade Napoleon's Leadership”. Every quote we see is a deeper level of corruption in Napoleon, and now, his influence on the farm is tearing what the revolution was all about.

Ignorance is dangerous. Lack of knowledge can cause someone to be manipulated and used. Knowledge brings choice and freedom which is something that the animals in “Animal Farm” did not have. The story “Animal Farm” is a significant story because it shows that not having knowledge about certain situations can be a bad thing. The theme of the story is knowledge is power.

But, it turns into a disaster and Napoleon, one of the pigs, takes over the farm by manipulating the animals and gets guard dogs. The authors obvious irony and symbolism helps support the theme that history repeats itself because no matter what, the bad and good are constantly on war, and only repeat rather than make progress. Napoleon and Mr. Jones are paralleled two characters that help represent that history repeats itself. Mr Jones was overthrown by Napoleon, but Napoleon later acted exactly like Mr. Jones. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and man to pig, and from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to say which was which.”