Conformity vs Individuality

Conformity vs. Individuality

"The Mechanical Hound slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live in its gently humming, gently vibrating, softly illuminated kennel back in a dark corner of the firehouse." pg-20

Mechanical Hound and Conformity

The Mechanical hound is an example of conformity because the hound's function, of course, is not to catch rats; it is to detect, track, and, if necessary, kill nonconformists. It is the ultimate manifestation of mankind's exploitation of technology for the subjugation of the masses. It symbolizes totalitarianism in its ability to sense nonconformity and to attack it with vicious "cold-blooded" efficiency. It is a symbol of lawfulness and justice as it gives the civilians a reason to be lawful and responsible with their actions. The Mechanical hound enforces conformity into people with fear and it shows the base of the laws and rules of this society.

Beatty and conformity

“Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean."- Beatty pg 57

This means Beatty believes that to burn books is to cleanse society by saying fire is clean. This also proves that he has strong beliefs in what society chooses for him to do. Beatty is too in touch with society that he now only believes that fire is the only way to make happiness. He has been in the fire industry long enough to believe that the fire is the reason for an organized and happy society. He is now permanently brain washed to believe that ideas and books must be burnt to maintain a happy and bright society.

By: Sammy E, Shaina Z, Jennifer P, Stef K, Randy Lu

Mildred and Conformity

Faber and Individuality

"Fiddling with electronics, radio transmissions, has been my hobby." -Faber pg. 86

Faber is an individual by building machines and hiding books. He talks openly about what is wrong with their society and what they can do to fix it. He is somewhat aggressive about fixing things especially the society. He is doing things regular civilians don't do because they are all followers of conformity. He has a strong passion for change in the society of Fahrenheit 451 and he starts by creating his own little gadgets to start his own way of a rebellion. They are also a hobby that he can use to distract himself from the propaganda that the government has the citizens focus on such as watching T.V. endlessly. Many citizens just stay in their parlors and listen to propaganda and speak to fake people but people like Faber decide to find something else to obsess over to keep their minds on something they still believe.

“She’s nothing to me; she shouldn’t have had books. It was her responsibility, she should’ve thought of that. I hate her. She’s got you going and next thing you know we’ll be out, no house, no job, nothing.”- Mildred pg.48

• Mildred is affected by her society and thinks the way that society wants her to think, she no longer has her own ideas and now thinks only about how the law is the only way to live equally and peacefully. She is now too convinced that here society is the dominant way of living that she now doesn't care if it kills or gets people into prisons. She just only supports the society regardless of the consequences it gives to some people.

Mrs. Ann Bowls

'"Silly words, silly words, silly awful hurting words,'" said Mrs.Bowls. "Why do people want to hurt people? Not enough hurt in the world. You got to tease people with stuff like that." -Mrs. Bowls pg.97

The great majority of people in their society hate books and every piece of information they contain. Mrs.Bowls is a great example of this. As soon as something gets remotely complected, she gives up and gets angry. Another reason she might get angry is that she might be able to connect with the poem. All the characters in this book react differently to the information books/poems. Mrs. Phelps starting crying. Mrs. Bowls got angry that she could connect with something so illegal and "bad".

"I, don't know, don't know, I just don't know, oh, oh..." -Clara Phelps pg. 97

This shows that Clara is too close to the laws of the society that she now fears anything that relates to the outside world like emotion in this case. She is shocked, confused and sad as she doesn't really understand how to react to the feeling and begins to cry. That is why she repeats "I don't know." because she is confused but is sad because this new feeling is tearing her of her thoughts and emotions.

Mrs. Clara Phelps and Conformity

Clarisse McClellan and Individuality

“‘Is it true that long ago firemen used to put fires out instead of going to start them.’”- Clarisse McClellan pg. 6

Montag and Individuality

She is an example of individuality because she thinks even when conformity telling the citizens what to do. She represents free thought and actions as she doesn't go to school and doesn't watch T.V.. She focuses more on socialization and talking while others aren't and she is one that the citizens fear because of the way she acts. She is now curious about firemen and dares to as the former fireman, Montag, about this topic. No one else would ask these kind of questions because they all live in fear of violating the authorities. She wonders for the reason of such events that happens in this society and strives to understand the dystopian features that this disguised as utopia society has.

"You're not like the others. I've seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon, last night. The others would never do." -Clarisse pg. 21

Montag listening to her instead of ignoring her like the other firemen says that he's more different compared to the others. While the other firemen are completely supportive of the laws and rules of society, Montag is actually less vicious of enforcing it. Clarisse talking to him and him not being ignoring of her speeches means that he is somehow curious and a bit of a rebel as the reader soon finds out he is hiding books.

Montag and conformity

Conformity- behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards they are also known as laws or rules of society.

Individuality- the quality or character of a particular person or thing that distinguishes them from other of the same kind. They are usually the rebels of the society to Fahrenheit 451

Conformity vs individuality

"We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren't happy. Something's missing. I looked around. The only thing I positively knew was gone was the books I'd burned in ten or twelve years. So I thought books might help."- Montag Pg. 78

This shows that Montag knows that the books and detail are the things that are missing from this society where the people are constantly clueless as to what detail in this society means. They are restricted by comformity but Montag isn't as he now understands that there is much missing from his society. It is because he goes against conformity that he now understands the assets of a upotia missing from this dystopia.

Granger is a example of individuality

"We're book burners too. We read the books and burnt them, afraid they'd be found." -Granger pg. 145

Granger is individual in a different way than Faber. He is more discreet but has large and seemingly sensible plans to bring back the society. He makes the illusion that he is a follower of society by burning the books and not being near any when authorities are near. That makes him more sensible than Faber who makes himself present like to Montag when he was yet to become a rebel. However, Granger burns the books after he has read it and memorizes the story so instead of reading it, he passes it down from generation to generation by vocally saying it.

read

you burn?"

you

Credits

Shaina - Montag and Clara Phelps

Stefi - Mrs. Ann Bowls and Mildred

Samy - Faber and mechanical hound

Randy - Clarisse and Granger

Jenifer - Beatty

ever

"Do

the books

-Clarisse McClellan