Introduction
The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury is a fiction story which unveils the untold and underlying lawlessness in anti-intellectual teenagers in America; who engage in various anti-social activities. In his novel, Bradbury brings the corrupt and evils society build on the fear of unknown as a result of inferiority complex by anti-intellectual youths who feel threatened by the elite members of the society. As the story unfolds, the uncouth teenagers are described to have been engaging in various activities geared at diminishing the superiority of the elite members in the society. This paper presents a critical appraisal of the theme of roots of fear, as brought out in the novel by Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury (Bradbury 3-70).
As revealed in this story, the anti-intellectual youths engage in the anti-social activities so as to succumb the superiority held by the intellectuals in the society; as they felt threatened being overruled by the elite members of the society. In this case, a kind of inferiority complex is bound to the anti-intellectual teenagers so as to counter the perception by the elite members of the society towards them. As the story postulates, the engagement of the anti-intellectual teenagers in destruction of property belonging to the elite members and depriving them of their freedom to read what they want freely, represents a high degree of brutality. More specifically, the elite members are deprived of their freedom by the anti-intellectual members of the society, whose roots are in the inferiority complex (Bradbury 3-70).
Perhaps, so as to counter the fear such anti-intellectual teenagers should have for the elite members of the society; they in return pose the fear into them by being cruel towards the elite members. Analysis of such situation as presented by Bradbury suggests that; the roots of fear starts from a threatening situation where the culprits feel intimidated in one aspect or another. In fact, the activities carried out by the anti-intellectual youths suggest an immature and innate ignition of ‘a fire that ought to be lit’. in this regard, the terrifying activities carried out by the anti-intellectual youths suggest that; they feel having no useful position in the society and hence engage in what they feel would make them remarkable (Bradbury 3-70).
Further, the story unveils the untold feelings of the inferior members of the society, in which they tend to feel a bit suppressed by the elite members people; as they are held responsible of controlling all the activities in the society. In this respect therefore, the anti-intellectual group, being the inferior members of the society, counter react by engaging into terrifying activities against the elite people as a result of inferiority complex. More precisely, the elite members of the society are put in a situation of recognizing the anti-intellectual members of the society even through evil deeds. Generally, the situation presented in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury depicts on how fear erupts from the inferior group in the society who counter-react by being brutal and cruel towards the elite members of the society (Bradbury 3-70).
Conclusion
As revealed in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury, the roots of fear are deeply instilled in the society; where the inferior group feels threatened and counter-react towards the elite members by engaging into malicious activities. By so doing, the anti-intellectual groups, who have been previously in fear of the elite people, pose a threat towards the elite members of the society by engaging into brutal activities.
Reference list
Bradbury, Ray. “Fahrenheit 451”. New York: Prentice Hall Publishers. (1951): 3-70.