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Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 consistently uses the dystopian setting to emphasize the absurdity of government authoritarianism, and to argue the importance of free thought in society.

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“To make sure that every person is ‘happy’ in the dystopian world of F451, the authorities are ready to unlimited to silence any sign of opposition or intellectual debate” (Gebreen 5)

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This quote shows how the government shown in F451 will go to any length to silence anything that goes against their ideas. In the novel, censorship is commonly demonstrated through burning the books, which directly symbolizes free thought as they are the only thing the government can't directly control what the author is saying. Hence, they burn them to eliminate any possible opposing opinions.

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“If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war” (Bradbury 58)

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This quote from F451 shows Bradbury’s opinion on free thought, which is mirrored through Beatty through the use of the dystopian setting. It also illustrates the importance of knowledge and being able to think for yourself through the involvement of politics, which is known to be a common point of debate, especially in America. It also alludes to the lack of care that the common people have for important things such as war, which directly validates the lack of free thought that is exhibited in Bradbury’s society. Since Beatty functions as the authoritative figure in the story, he directly represents the government, so through this quote, Bradbury is directly saying that giving the government too much power can lead to a lack of free thought.

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“Totalitarian states can be broadly summarized as nondemocratic political systems that use modern tools such as the mass media, alongside a political police, to try to coordinate all aspects of life among an entire population” (Fatma 22)

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Through this quote, the reader can instantly make connections to F451. Seeing that nearly all of these strategies are being employed by the government in F451, it is apparent that the government is meant to represent totalitarianism, and Bradbury is warning against it as a form of government due to the lack of freedom of independent thought.

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"I voted last election, same as everyone, and I laid it on the line for President Noble. I think he's one of the nicest looking men ever became president." (Bradbury 93)

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In the context of this situation, Mildred's friend is a stand-in for the average citizen, and the reader can easily infer that people in this society don't care about being informed about their presidential candidates. By illustrating the absurdity of picking a candidate solely based on looks, Bradbury makes his point on freedom of thought abundantly clear.

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"firemen do not know any history or information about their work as well, and the evidence is when Montag asks the same question to his boss, Captain Beatty, and answer him by showing Montag how the first American fire institution was established in 1790 to burn the English books in the Colonies and the first fireman: Benjamin Franklin." (Fatma 46)

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Through this quote, the reader can see how misinformation is systemic in F451, even in the people who carry out the censorship and the destruction of free thought. It is also important to note that only the people higher up in the firehouses know the truth of their work, further strengthening Bradbury's argument for the freedom of free thought. Additionally, the juxtaposition of Benjamin Franklin being opposed to free thinking adds to the absurdity of the entire society, as Benjamin Franklin in reality is a celebrated inventor who helped liberate the 13 colonies which directly stand for freedom.

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"They're faking. You threw them off at the river. They can't admit it. They know they can hold their audience only so long." (Bradbury 141)

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This quote shows the exact commentary Bradbury is making on society because the news provider will completely make up a story just so it can be entertaining and will uphold the image of government control. It also shows how the government will spread misinformation to make themselves look better, and in this case, they are making a point out of Montag, as he rebelled against his leaders therefore in the eyes of the government, he must be crucified.

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This poster will thoroughly discuss how Bradbury uses the dystopian setting in F451 to emphasize the absurdity of totalitarian government states fully moderating the media to eliminate free thought in society. This poster will also portray how information and knowledge are portrayed in Bradbury's society. Through its portrayal, it is abundantly clear that Bradbury is trying to argue that people shouldn't make important decisions with misinformation or the lack of information. This is shown multiple times through the portrayal of the media, constantly spreading misinformation that favors the government, and it is also demonstrated through the way politics are represented.