Three_Forms_of_Government_in_Fahrenheit_451

Three Forms of Government in Fahrenheit 451 By: Ashley P ENG 2DA Mr. Merrifield Jan.19/09 Democracy is a political system in which power is held by the people under a free electoral system based on majority rule. All members have equal access to power and universally recognized freedoms and liberties. Totalitarianism is a political system in which the government controls everything. Power is kept by using controlled mass media to spread propaganda and influence people. They eliminate opposition and use mass surveillance and widespread terror tactics. Authoritarianism is a political system that places little value on an individual’s freedom of thought. Power is held by one leader or group not responsible for the people. Organizations are used to mobilize people around state goals and repressive measures are used to eliminate potential opposition. Democracy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism all have concepts that apply, in varying degrees, to the novel, Fahrenheit 451. In a democracy people are under a free electoral system based on majority rule, which means that the people are allowed to vote for their government of choice and whoever has the most votes wins. A concept from democracy that applies to the novel Fahrenheit 451 is that they are allowed to vote. While Montag was eating supper one evening, Mildred came home with her friends, Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Phelps, to watch a show on her parlour walls. While they were watching, Montag pulled the main switch. The three women were irritated with him and he started to talk. They talked about war, their husbands, the show they watched last night, and their children. Then Mildred said, “Let’s talk politics to please Guy!” “Sounds fine,” said Mrs. Bowles. “I voted last election, same as everyone…”(pg.96) Some concepts from totalitarianism that apply to the novel, Fahrenheit 451 are that the government controls the media, widespread terror tactics are used to enforce the laws, and the media is used to spread propaganda. In the novel, the government controls the media because they have a say in what they see on their parlour walls, what they hear on the radio, and what they read, which is nothing. No one is allowed to read books. The terror tactic they use to enforce this law is that any one who is caught with a book in their home will have their house burnt. “The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning, along with the houses in which they were hidden.” In the novel, the government uses the rulebooks of the firemen to spread false information to keep people from questioning why they burn books and to make them think that it has always been this way. It says the society of firemen was "Established, 1790...First Fireman: Benjamin Franklin."(pg.34) A few concepts from authoritarianism that apply to the novel Fahrenheit 451 are that repressive measures are used to eliminate potential opposition, there is an organization which helps to mobilize people around state goals, and the group which holds the power is not responsible for the people. Which means that any thing that poses a threat to their society will be eliminated, there is a group of people who are in charge of making people follow the laws, and this same group is responsible for any harm done to a person who defies the law. In the novel, the government doesn't want people to ask questions. They want people to know how to do things but not why they do them. If they read history books about the way firemen used to be, they will start asking questions. Books are seen as a threat because people might start questioning the law. They are also seen as a threat because they can make people unhappy. The government's solution to this problem is to burn all books. “Coloured people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it. Someone’s written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs' The cigarette people are weeping' Burn the book…”(pg.59) The group of people in charge of making the people follow the law of no books in the novel is the firemen. The organization of firemen was "Established, 1790, to burn English-influenced books in the Colonies..."(pg.34) The firemen are not responsible for the deaths of people who would rather die than go to jail. In the novel, there was a woman who had an alarm called in on her by her neighbour. The firemen went to her house and sprayed it with kerosene. Montag grabbed the woman and said, "You can come with me." The woman replied, "I want to stay here."(pg.39) They tried to make her leave but she wouldn't. She showed the men the match in her hand and they ran quickly out of the house. She struck the match against the railing of her porch and the house caught fire. In conclusion, the society in the novel, Fahrenheit 451 does not fall under one single class of government. Democracy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism all have concepts that apply, in varying degrees, to the novel, Fahrenheit 451.