Why do we have to read Fahrenheit 451 in school?

Question

Usually I like to read novels for school but this book is really boring...

Another question:
If you have read it, did you enjoy it? Why or why not?

Answer 1

We had to read it, but here's the thing: It's not really a great read, I agree with you. But it's important that you read it, for two reasons:

First, it's a great story about how human beings, when pushed, will find a way to behave in such a way that benefits everyone. Like memorizing old books, word for word, to pass them on to the next generation. Or by revolting when they realize that when they thought they were doing the right thing, they were actually being very, very evil.

Secondly, it's a great warning about how many times people in power will attempt to control the information that the people they rule see and hear, to keep those people under the thumb of the ruling elite. It's a lesson that's been repeated by many governments over time, and it's almost always failed.

Answer 2

You have a couple of different questions here. The school or the teacher probably picked Fahrenheit 451 because 1) it is a pretty good book; 2) they thought the kids would like sci-fi/fantasy and wanted to pick something they would be interested in; 3) it is not too difficult; and 4) it has a message about books being important and that is something all English teachers believe in.
As to the second question and its parts. Yes, I have read it and enjoyed it very much. The first part was a mystery and it took me a while to figure out what was going on. Then I got to thinking about the issues. What was it like to live in a totalitarian state? How would I feel if I lost all my books? I like books that make me think.
As for the answer above. I agree with it except that Northanger Abbey is not about a lot of dresses. It is about a nice, but somewhat silly teenage girl who has been reading too many gothic romances and tries interpreting some rather ordinary things as being extraordinary.

Answer 3

Fahrenheit 451 is really a great book. I had to read it this summer in preparation for my sophomore year. We have to be shown the importance of the power that a government, etc. can have over people and how easily brainwashed the world could become to prevent it from happening. It's a bit of a hyperbole in some parts, but this situation is still possible, maybe on less catastrophic terms. It also shows the importance of reading and writing, which without we would not retain any knowledge. Knowledge makes our lives function smoothly and this book really gives an example of how important it really is.

Answer 4

I have read it, and I enjoyed it very much. The underlying message is very powerful and holds true still today.
Fahrenheit 451 was on the banned books list, which is why my teacher had us read it when I was in school. It wasn't until after high school that I really understood the book, because truthfully, I had no concept of anything political at that stage in my life.
Read it now, and read it again in a few years. I'm sure you're thoughts of it being boring will change, and you'll have a new appreciation for it.

Answer 5

A better question is why read Romeo and Juliet or such. At least Fahrenfeit 451 is written in plain English. Besides you may learn something from the book. Espically if you consider that the this is pretty much how the Soviet Union was, not that our Govt was a whole lot better. The point though is you are to get a warning out of this basically. You are supposed to learn to fight against something like this happening. Much like Animal Farm or 1984 these books serve of warning of what could happen.

Answer 6

I could not have been more than 10 or 12 when my Dad made me read it. I was gripped - there is a film too.

The book is a social criticism warnin us about the dangers of censorship.

It warns of the dangers of an unchecked repressive government, being able to irreperably damage the freedom and the creative freedom of its citizens.

It explores "dystopia" the concept of order and harmony being inflicted by a totalitarian, technocratic society at the expense of the rights of the individual.

It is an attack on the anti-intellecualism of the Nazi party in Germany and the ensuing intelectually oppressive political climate which encouraged McCarthyism in the 1950's.

Ray Bradbury showed a real apprehension of the dangers of the US evolving into an authoritarian opressive society post WWII. -

Bradbury was also facing personal censorship by editors who wanted to control the books they printed more closley, stiffling the creativity and originality of their works. Incidentaly a number of issues of F451 are edited due to the "bad language" used in the original.

If you look at the news today or any day you can see that the issues of censorship and public control have not gone away - surely his book seems even more relevant today?

Just my thoughts but if you want something which will help you read it and maybe enjoy it a little more see the link below:

Thank goodness for the Montags' of this world - where would we be without them?

Answer 7

I read that book in school too. I did not enjoy it that much. It was kind of boring and I didn't exactly understand the beginnning. I think we have to read Fahrenheit 451 so that we know about censorship in other parts of the world. I also think that teachers want us to realize what we can do and the priveleges that we have, that other people in other countries may not have.

Answer 8

Question one: You are reading it because it is assigned. It is assigned because teachers and parents have agreed that it is appropriate reading material for a student in your grade level. They agreed on that because it is not religious in content, not sexual, and not really violent or profane. That is probably why you find it "boring". You are also reading it to demonstrate your analytical capabilities, you ability to analyse and synthesize written material to form and then write out cogent opinion papers and or answer pointed questions on the subject. That is why you are reading this book, to show you can, to all those people who want to see you are capable of doing so.

Question two:
I enjoy all literature including this book, though some of it is harder to digest do to poor writing style. That is not the case here. This book is easy to read and easier still to analyze. You just have to remember to ask yoursefl "What is the author doing in this chapter? and "Why is the author doing this at this point in the story?" It is important to understand the content of the story. It is also important to understand how the story is designed. It is like playing chess. You are hoping to learn to recognize patterns in the author's writing that could tell you if this is original, if it is adaptive, if this has many layers, (schema /subschema). and so on. I enjoyed this one so much I read it later in life to help others in deciphering it's subtleties.

Question three:

Because once you learn how to deconstruct a book properly you can begin to appreciate all the skill that goes into writing a piece of fiction. You can also begin to question your beliefs on that subject matter. You can question the author's philosophy and his/her skill. You can make an educated decision as to what book is better and why. This book is simple. It is supposed to be at your level. And yet if you tear it apart your can learn so much about writing style, and political and sociological beliefs. You can put it in context of when it was written and why it was written and what the author is trying to say here. Why is censorship so important to him that people burn books? Why are things we commonly take for granted today in a book decades old? How did the author know that these thing might exist? And what about the people? Do the people act and think and feel the way they ought to and if not why not?

I am not going to do your reading for you. That defeats the purpose of you being assigned the book but needless to say you need to read this book. And do yourself a favor and do some research about the author, his writings, and the timing of this book. You can look up the original reviews of the book in the library and subsequent comments by the author as well. Do so. What you learn from this book you will carry to every book you read afterwards.

Answer 9

As one of my all-time favorite books, I have to defend "Fahrenheit 451". I can empathize with what you mean about the book being boring; its language is sparing when it's not outright coarse, but that's the author's point . . . a world without books, a world without freedom of expression will find unhealthy ways to release anger. It's somewhat ironic that "Fahrenheit 451" became a novel read in schools, since the tone of the book itself is against censorship (and it's often been censored by school districts too!)

But as the story unfolds, the protagonist, a fireman named Guy Montag who, in the dystopian world of the novel, SETS fires rather than puts them out, learns that people long ago didn't have books taken away, they just stopped reading. The author makes the point that without the time authors take to write books and without an audience to read them, culture isn't passed on from one generation to the next. We lack depth and we seek our entertainment and pleasure in the TV walls and Car Smasher and Fun Park places (referenced in the book). One could make the argument that our culture has become so accelerated that we no longer take time to pause and think, and the entire society of the novel is geared to reflect that.

Without the leisure to think about what we're reading, what your teacher should ultimately be trying to encourage, we're seeking knowledge without understanding -- another point of "Fahrenheit 451". (Read Beatty's speech to Montag about the accelerated pace of life in Part One.) Keep in mind that when you're asked to criticize the work, there IS no right or wrong answer. But you should read it to not know just how, but why you agree or disagree and like or dislike the novel.

Let me know how things turn out, and remember that if they give you ruled paper, write the other way. Have a terrific day!

Answer 10

Personally, Fahrenheit 451 was a good study on the dangers of ignorance and how a blind society leads nowhere. But very true, much of what you do in school MAY not make sense, but it's supposed to make you a well rounded person. Personally, I hated, hated every single Mark Twain book I ever read.

Answer 11

It is not the kind of book most modern readers would appreciate, but it is quite interesting and makes a valid point concerning the importance of books. The people who wanted to read were sought out viciously just like the Jews were sought out by the Nazis. A world without books would be disastrous, but just like the many Jews who managed to escape, the power of literature survived because of those determined folks who chose to memorize the contents of books in order to preserve them realizing that someday sanity would return to the world. Fahrenheit 451 is all about the remarkable value of the written word. I hope this helps you.