Fahrenheit 451 Group

Question:

konvex
konvex
Student
High School - 12th Grade

In "Fahrenheit 451," what does it mean when Beatty says to Montag: "firemen as custodians of our peace of mind"?

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Posted by konvex on Monday September 1, 2008 at 1:17 PM and tagged with beatty, characters, fahrenheit 451, montag, quotes, themes.

Answers:


  1. gbeatty Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    Ideas are dangerous. They are upsetting for the individual, and they can change or even threaten society. Ideas are found in their most concentrated form in books, and therefore, firemen preserve society's peace of mind. How? They burn books, the source of these disturbing ideas.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/fahrenheit-451/summary

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    Posted by gbeatty on Monday September 1, 2008 at 2:17 PM


  2. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Beatty believes that books make people unhappy and and are a source of confusion to them. By burning the books, firemen are insuring that the people enjoy peace of mind because the cause of their unhappiness has been destroyed. Ironically, Beatty's words belie the fact that suicide is so common in Montag's world, that when Montag's wife attempts to kill herself, the emergency response it to send only technicians to save her life. Obviously, it is not books that cause unhappiness, but the entire hollow nature of their society.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/fahrenheit451

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    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Monday September 1, 2008 at 2:24 PM