Bradbury's Portrayal Of Conformity In Behavior example essay topic

Most people possess a basic understanding of conformity; however, many may fail to see the application and the impact of it in their own lives and in our society. Conformity discourages the type of independence that is valued in our supposedly free-thinking democratic world. Conformity is one of the major themes in Fahrenheit 451, and its impact is illustrated through conformity in appearance, behavior and thought. This invites us to draw clear parallels between Ray Bradbury's classic and our current society. The correlation between appearance and social acceptance is readily apparent in our lives. In order to achieve societal norm we desire to appear similar to our peers, and as a result conformity in appearance has become a common example of conformity today.

In Fahrenheit 451, Montag realizes that a major part of being socially accepted as a fireman is to conform through appearance. Montag observes this fact, but does not comment aloud: "Montag stared up, his mouth opened. Had he ever seen a fireman that didn't have black hair, black brows, a fiery face, and a blue-steel shaved but unshaved look? These men were all mirror images of himself! Were all firemen picked then for their looks as well as their proclivities?" (Bradbury pg. 33) While there are countless examples of conformity through appearance in our society, one of the most prominent is directly associated with the last sentence of Montag's observation. The belief that physical beauty is more valuable than intelligence or skill is a common American notion, and as a result we may often conform to accepted standards of appearance rather than focusing on the value of our intellect and skill.

In this way we are able to draw a fundamental parallel from our own society to the troubling culture described in Fahrenheit 451, citing conformity in appearance as proof of this parallel. Conformity in behavior is another damaging example of conformity found in our culture today. However, in Fahrenheit 451 Beatty describes conformity as a positive aspect of society - he argues that conformity in behavior prevents violence and jealousy by restricting the intelligentsia from their ability to excel. "Surely you remember the boy in your school class who was exceptionally 'bright', did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours?

Of course it was. We must all be alike... each man the image of every other". (Pg. 58) However, the real problem in the situation Beatty describes is not the exceptionally bright child but the mass of those who conform. Unfortunately, this very situation occurs repeatedly in our society today. People who choose not to conform may be persecuted by the masses, and through that act of persecution the masses reinforce conformity of behavior. In this way we see that Bradbury's portrayal of conformity in behavior is similar to the way we conform in our society, illustrating yet another fundamental parallel between Fahrenheit 451 and our culture today.

Because of the democracy in which we live, we are free to hold any opinions we wish and we pride ourselves on our right to freely express these opinions through speech. However, we often find that although we have the right to think freely we often choose instead to embrace the opinions of the masses. Thus, one of the most prominent examples of conformity in our society today lies within thought. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury paints a picture of a futuristic society in which this conformity of thought is highly valued. In the novel, the fire captain Beatty strongly believes that every person must think alike; for conflict and unhappiness only arise when differences are perpetuated. As Beatty says to Montag: "We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought".

(Pg. 62) There may be some truth to Beatty's claim that conflicting theory and thought creates unhappiness and discomfort within a society. One example of this is the strong pressure from our culture and some factions of government to be 'politically correct. ' As a somewhat mediocre remedy for the cruel intolerance of minorities, our society has created a system of thought in which we must exhibit ultimate acceptance of persecuted groups. The pressure to be politically correct can be so strong that any opinion that does not suggest an underlying prejudice but which is conveyed to the public in a 'politically incorrect' manner is considered socially unacceptable. Those who communicate their non-mainstream thoughts may be viewed as immoral. Through the strong pressure to be 'politically correct' we see that conformity of thought remains in our society and parallels Bradbury's portrayal of the theme in Fahrenheit 451.

"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way", a man named Juan Ram " on Jim " e nez once said. This quote is placed at the beginning of Fahrenheit 451, obviously selected to create awareness of Bradbury's principal theme. By choosing this quote, Bradbury reaffirms that the purpose of the novel was to encourage independent thought and create a basic awareness of the conformity found in our culture. This conformity is illustrated through appearance, behavior and thought both in the novel and in our society today.