#anyway go read there will come soft rain

[stackthedeck]

Ok wait… do you also have odd feelings on Fahrenheit 451? Because I always just thought there was something wrong with me. Like I just chalk it up to “I was forced to read it so I didn’t like it” but also. The book kinda doesn’t hold up? Like the message does to some extent but there is some part of me bothered by my older adult figures telling me how good this story is. Now granted it could be me being dramatic and not liking authority figures. But some part of me is bothered by the “secret society” that survives the war and the treatment of Montag’s wife ya know? I’m aware of the period it was made in and that is definitely something one has to consider when reading it. So I don’t know where this was going point is I don’t understand the love for Fahrenheit 451 but also maybe I should just give it another read :/

Okay I actually really like Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite sci-fi authors. Like the novel is definitely dated as all dystopia novels from that time period are because they're written by white dudes and they really don't incorporate any axes of oppression other than the government which like makes sense because that was a real fear and worry in the wake of WWII and the beginning of the cold war. Yeah, the novel is definitely deeply sexist, like the overindulgence in technology and the lack of awareness of the world and government is framed as a very feminine action when in reality it should be you know on society not the individuals. But like again that's a very post-war attitude. Oddly enough the distrust and questioning of authority is part of the theme of the novel so if you finished the book and thought "the people in charge told me I should like this but I don't and I won't pretend I do" you've internalized the novel in a meaningful way. I do really like the secret society it is unfortunately anti-urban but again the threat of nuclear annihilation will do that to you. Like it's this group of people who have been removed from society and they're tasked with rebuilding it with only what they remember of literature. Like most sci-fi novels of the time, the most interesting part of the story is at the very end and isn't given the attention it deserves. Also, the mechanical hound and the suspense of f 451 were gripping and horrifying. Like I feel it is a well-crafted novel but you've gotta put in its cultural context if that makes sense. The shifting hegemony, extremely fast changes in technology especially in the military, and increased government power. Like it's the kind of novel that was needed back then, but I feel that the "book burning" idea needs to be updated to a modern context because it's not as simple as "the government wants to keep you entertained and ideal so you don't think about the war." Like that's not why censorship happens. But also modern dystopias are deeply ineffective at expressing anything thematic so :/

basically what I'm saying is that it's one of my favorite novels but I get why people don't like it. Ray Bradbury was deeply of his time; if I met him, I'd kick his ass before I praise his books. That being said I do recommend his other works, especially his short stories.

#asks #god i gotta reread that novel #anyway go read there will come soft rain #sorry for this whole essay #i'm a future english teacher so you know i am that authority figure that's going to ruin novels for kids #it is hard to teach novels because the act of forcing kids to read them primes their brains to hate it #i'd recommend reading classic lit outside of the classroom because they are classics for a reason #idk if i would like f 451 if i read it in class