Theme- Conformity

Conformity
Conformity is portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 through Entertainment, Education, Fear and Changing of History.



Entertainment

Senses overloaded
The entertainment the citizens received provide them with so much excitement in a short time they have no time to think. Their mind has no room for thoughts as they have their senses occupied with what is happening in front of them. Therefore, they will just follow with anything that is asked for them, and do not question anything.

E.g.: Seashells, parlor walls

"the televisor is real. It is immediate, it has dimension. It tells you what to think and blast it in. It must be right. It seems so right. It rushes you so quickly to its own conclusion your mind hasn't time to protest"

Violence
The games they play or the shows they watch all contain violence. This made them apactheitc to all the happenings around them. Even if death of war occurs around them, they would blink an eye on it and continue to live their lives at their own pace. Being apathetic, they would not question the happenings around them and continue to mindlessly follor the government as conformists.

E.g: Fun parks for bullying people, Window Smasher for smashing windows, Parlor walls.

"head for Fun park to Bully people around, break windowpanes in the Window Smasher palce or wreak cars in Car Wreaker place with a steel ball"
"six of my friends have been shot in last year alone"

Education

Information overload
Schools no longer teach. They merely fill the students with "knowledge"and make them feel "smart" and students are never taught to question, but just accept what they have been told.

"We never ask questions, or at least most don't; they just run the answers at you, bing bing bing, and us sitting there for four more hours of film taecher"

"Cramp them full of non-combustible data, chock them so damn full of facts they feel stuffed, but absolutely brilliant with information."

Fear

Dictatorship
The government take charge of every aspect of the citizens life, e.g. what shows are been programmed on television. It expects every civilian to follow its laws i.e. by no reading and seeking self improvement. Those who violate the laws of attempts to rebel against the system are being severely dealt with.

arrested for simply being diffent"my uncle was arrested..for being a predestrain"

Creation of jobs and machines to inspire fear

the Mechanical Hound is invented to force support from the citizens, through fear
*ireman who burn hourse of those who dares to keep books

Changing of history

Benjamin Franklin named the first fireman(pg34-35)
They changed the history to make burning of books and houses seems plausible and reasonable. Thus, people will not question the origins of a fireman's job scope.

They also purposely made use of a famous name in the history "Benjamin Franklin" so as to make the job of a firemen more awe-inspiring and distinguished. Citizens in the novel would therefore respect them and mgiht even be afraid of them.

"so many people are. Afraid of firemen, i mean."