8) How accurately does this novel reflect events in history? What responsibilities does the author believe exist between various groups in society, such as workers and bosses, men and women, blacks and whites, etc.? What people, ideas, and events probably influenced this author?
I feel that the author believes that responsibilities really do exist between certain groups in society. I also believe that Bradbury had a deep passion for literature, and it was a real concern to him as to where the world was going with it.
My reasoning behind the thought of the author's belief in group-specific responsibilities is the fact that in the story, books are made illegal because they could potentially be considered offensive in some form (Bradbury 57). It might seem wrong, but I feel like sometimes a person needs to be offended in order to make them think about what they're doing. Living in a world without differences in opinion is unnatural, we need to think for ourselves. When no one disagrees and everyone is quiet, there is a good chance that something might be wrong. It is a citizen's constitutional and human right to speak and think freely, even if it offends someone. Lack of free speech is the reason behind most of the problems in the book, like the extensive list of prohibited books (Bradbury 34). Although being offended might not be the most pleasant thing, it is a part of life that we have to deal with.
Bradbury ultimately wrote this book because he simply loves books, and he really does not want anything to happen to them. It is often taken for granted that we can read whatever book we want, whenever we please. A story like this one provokes the reader to go out and read whatever they can get their hands on, just out of respect for the fact that they can do that! The author sincerely loves literature, and this book makes others stop to find that they probably feel the same.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1954
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