Very seldom are books able to not only withstand the test of time, but also act as an emblem for a political movement. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953 and still manages to stay relevant even today–especially when discussing the issues of censorship and the oppressive practice of book burning. Senior Jack Saundercook expressed, “Fahrenheit 451 is really an amazing book because not only is it very relevant to many issues around the world, but it also is still being talked about and mentioned.”
The story follows a man named Guy Montag who acts as a fireman in a dystopian society where all books are outlawed. However, in this society, being a fireman means you start fires, not stop them. His job entails burning houses down if they contain any works of literature in them. One day he meets a young girl named Clarisse, who has a more free-spirited outlook in comparison to the rest of society and causes him to question his own lifestyle and what he considers to be making him happy. In the following days, Guy goes to burn down a woman’s house after discovering she had a book collection. However, while doing this, Guy snags one of the books, and his life is never the same.
Book burning is a ritual that is still practiced today that acts as a form of censorship. It has famously been executed by rulers of the Qin Dynasty and the Nazi Party. Book burning can be enacted due to distaste for the novel’s author or content, and large acts of book burning can be considered to be cultural genocide, causing history to be erased forever. Some recent book burnings occurred on December 2001 when Pastor Jack Brock of Christ Community Church burned Harry Potter novels, March 2011 when Pastor Terry Jones burned the Quran and was arrested in 2013 after being caught trying to burn 2,998 copies, and on July 2012 two Cleveland DJs burned copies of Fifty Shades of Grey.
On May 19 at 8pm, HBO showed a TV movie of Fahrenheit 451 starring Michael B. Jordan. Senior BJ Squires expressed, “I love Fahrenheit 451! I especially admire Michael B. Jordan’s ability to fully envelope characters’ personalities and intricate aspects of who they are as a member of the storyline when he assumes a role in theatres. I can’t wait to see my favorite actor completely kill the role in a film that is captivating and sure to get high ratings.” So make sure to read the book and go back to watch the HBO special!