Thalassa Papakonstantis - Banned Book - Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Farehnheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

“...the value of books lies in the detailed awareness of life that they contain”

This is a story about a society that bans the reading of literature, to control people's thoughts and freedoms.  The "old-world" feeling of the ideology, that reading books creates disharmony because of the conflicting thoughts that arise, can feel like science fiction, otherworldly.  But the common denominator feeling, of being crushed under authority, can bridge this gap. It’s an age-old story.

What better timing to read Fahrenheit 451, than the tremulousness years of early to late teenage-hood? Authority, control, and fitting into society are the ideas flooding this work.  Towards the end of 451 our protagonist, Montag, encounters a group in the forest whose sole purpose is that each person memorizes a great work. I believe adolescents, from 13 onward, will grasp the desperation in these revolutionaries, who are everyday people, who risk their lives to save books from extinction. The message is that even anarchy – trying to make a difference in an unfair situation - can be in the simple act of putting words in your mind because, to not, could mean the end of freedom. It is a particularly poignant suggestion in young minds that struggle with belonging and forming opinions of their surroundings. This dystopian novel moves quickly with twists and action that hold readers in suspense.