I think the theme of Fahrenheit 451 is that the majority holds far too much influence over the way the world works and that things are not always as they seem. Throughout the book, the protaganist, Guy Montag, learns a lot about the society he lives in and starts to question his way of life. He gathers a lot of knowledge about the world around him, to the point where he might even be considered a threat. The theme is woven all throughout the narrative, as people like Mr. Beatty, who is a part of the majority, try to enforce his beliefs on Guy and the general population, and condemn those who don't agree with them, like Clarisse McClellan.
We can learn a lot from what this book tells about the way society works, as many of its points are very applicable to our world today. The majority, or the people with the most influence, very much try to control the way people think and the things that they do. A good example is the gay marriage debate. Many people are against the gays' right to marry, and up until a few years ago, the topic was very taboo because of the majority's opinion, which has only just began to shift. This sort of thing has been happening for centuries, and its not showing any signs of changing, because even if the public's opinion is wrong, everyday people do not have the necessary power or influence to do anything about it.
The power of the majority over the minority is a big issue-and always has been. Books like Fahrenheit 451, which shed light on problems that many are too scared to bring up, can be very contreversial, but they are necessary. We need to educate ourselves so that we can rise to the occasion and do something about it.
-Allonna N.

To me, the book Farenheit 451 has numerous themes. One of these themes was that knowledge is power. In the book for example, it shows how without books, people are not well educated and do not know what is really happening in their world. Their seemingly perfect lives are not as good as they seem. People no longer have their own opinions, and cannot think for themselves. They believe only what society tells them and wants them to believe. This leads us into another theme in this book, that although majority rules, it is not always right. If everybody is exactly the same, thinking the same thoughts, ideas, and having the same beliefs, we are never going to get anywhere. In Farenheit 451, the few people that manage to think differently than others in society are punished. People should be able to think freely about whatever they want, and feel like they are allowed to do so. Towards the end of the book, Montag begins to realize that the books aren't bad, and that he should be able to believe things outside of what the government tells him.
-Nora

I believe the theme of Farenheit 451 is that all knowledge is power: and within that knowledge are new ideas and views, things that could seem harmful but others that are not at all. And within that power is selfishness and greed (by this i mean the governement's power right now in the book). In Farenehit 451, the government controls the limit of knowledge and forces people into ideas that can't take them very far. The people who try to question these ideas or gather more knowledge are punished for it, and the ideas are taken away from their hands, but not their minds. These people are the free-thinkers, the ones who dare question the majority and it's idea of 'perfect'. These are people like Montag, Faber, and Clarisse, and everyone else who has to get their house burned for containing knowledge and new ideas. The truth is, you can burn their houses but they still have the knowledge, and even if they didn't read any books, they still hit a point in their life where they realised that there was something wrong with being in the majority and that they, in fact, and separate ideas and wanted to learn more. The government shouldn't be able to control how the people view things, and the society will never be able to move forward with anything without these new ideas. Ideas that these books hold, they are treasure. Getting rid of knowledge is but harming yourself, and therefore the government is putting its economy at a standstill, its people at a standstill- and its wrong. Everyone should be treated as an individual, with the ability to think and choose freely, and to believe how and what they want. The government is just afraid of the people taking over, but it wouldn't happen. People need knowledge to grow, to become who they are, to stretch the limits of everyone else, and to leave their mark on the world. They deserve that basic power, that basic right, and if we take it away from them, we're hurting ourselves.

Casey McHugh

I think the overall theme of Fahrenheit 451is knowledge is power. In the book they're not allowed to have books which means they are taking away knowledge from the people so they cannot have the power to know what is really happening in their life and that after all, the perfect life they think they are living isn't really perfect. The government burns the books with fire fighters who used to do the opposite job of putting out fires but now in the future a firefighter starts the fires, Burning books so that no one will gain the knowledge and truths that the books have. In the book the majority is controlling the minority and forcing them to not have the knowledge passed down from the people before them through books. People not being able to have and read books is making him not be able to think their own ideas or have their own opinions. They just think what the majority tells them to and listens to what the majority tells them. In our society today people read books which makes them unique and able to think the themselves. This is making us have the knowledge and power to speak for ourselves and stand up to the majority.

-Julia Phalen

I think that the theme is trying to say that majority rules but it can be wrong. Knowledge holds the key and you need to use it in life. A few people are trying to widen their knowledge but aren't allowed to or else they get in trouble. Majority makes the others scared and kind of make them do what they want them to do. Like the fireman in the book were made to think that books were bad and Montag walks away from that and realizes that the books aren't bad and he starts to think on his own instead of the government thinking for him.


Victoria Navarro

I think that the theme is that majority rules, but is not always right. the few people who are interested in expanding beyond the knowledge of their people, are punished for it. The majority is punishing them, the people that are afraid of knew knowledge have singled out the others and turned people against them to keep things their way, but their way is wrong. If they never expand their knowledge, they will never move forward and prosper.
-Becca S

During a conversation with Montag, Mr. Faber says, "Three things are missing. Number one: do you know why books such as this are so important? They have quality. And what does the word "quality" mean? To me, it means texture; this book has pores. It has features...See why books are so hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life."
  Mr. Faber is telling him about the books and why people have been banned from reading them. He explains to him that the reason the books frighten people so much is because they hold the truth, and the truth sometimes scares people. The books show all the mistakes that mankind has ever made, and proves that their society is not as perfect as it seems. Allowing people to read the books would only cause them to be afraid, and to realize what people have done wrong. It would show them that nothing can be perfect, including them and their society.
-Nora
  

Faber says, "Three things are missing. Number one: do you know why books such as this are so important? They have quality. And what does "quality" mean? To me, it means texture; this book has pores. It has features....see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life."



I think what Mr.Faber means by what he told Montag is that people are afraid to uncover the truth. Pores are all over your face,you need them just like you need books. The government is trying to get rid of these books so people don't find out the truth. What is the government trying to hide and why?

Victoria Navarro

During a conversation between Montag and Faber, Faber says "Three things are missing. Number one: do you know why books such as this are so important? They have quality. And what does the word 'quality' mean? To me it means texture: this book has pores. It has features... See why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life."

I feel like this quote means that a book can really impact your personality, choices, and decisions in life, and if you don't read books which have quality, you wont have much quality because you haven't gained any knowledge from books. Faber compares the books quality, its texture, to pores. It shows that a book can have real ideas, real facts in them. That books in their time are covered up. People fear books because in their life, the life the are already living is perfect, ideal. In books, life isn't ideal, and definitely not perfect. I think people fear books because they don't ever want to have to go back to an unideal or perfect life, they like the life that they are living. 

I think that when Faber says "they show the pores in the face of life" it mean that books have the imperfectness that every persons life should have. Just they are covered up in the life of the people in the book, because they are hidden from these books that would show them this. 

All people want is a normal life, no bumps and bruises  but once you have that normal life, you'll realize  the life of imperfection is the real life. If everyone's life were perfect, there wouldn't be much life to live.


- Julia Phalen

In a conversation with Montag, Faber says, "Three things are missing. Number one: do you know why books such as this are so important? They have quality. And what does the word 'quality' mean? To me it means texture: this book has pores. It has features... See why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life."

This just goes to show how much books can really mean. They show the rough, hard surface of things but they can also show a fake coat. But they are real, and hold real ideas and truths. Books hold truths and different and real ways to understand things. Faber wants to help Montag to understand the true meaning of why books are feared. Books are not perfect, and they scare people because people want to live perfectly, but books just show how imperfect everyone and everything really is. People don't want to find out more information that could ruin their views and ideas, and hurt their ideal vision of life.

What Faber's quote "they show the pores in the face of life" directly means is they show the real underlying and rugged truth and insight to life, that everyone fears because of just that: it's the truth, and they find it corrupting their ideas of perfect.

Casey McHugh