English Book Talk

Classic Response 2

Why is this book a classic?

     Ray Bradbury started a wildfire of controversy with his classic novel Fahrenheit 451. The premise of Fahrenheit 451 is that all books and reading and free thinking are banned. In this novel fire fighters start fires to burn books instead of put them out. This book is a classic because it started a conversation in America about banning books and if it was right to stop the spread of ideas. Americans were forced to take a step back and think about if what they were doing was right. Fahrenheit  451 points to the irony of talking about the controversial banning of books in a controversial banned book.

What is in this book that is new?

     Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel from the 1950's. It is similar to other dystopian novels before it such as 1984 in that they criticize the government. 1984 points at the government taking  too much control and what the possible outcome could be. The new concept in Fahrenheit 451 was that, although the government pushed the people in the wrong direction, it was they who ruined society themselves.  In Fahrenheit 451, the people no longer want to read. The people are scared of new ideas. They would rather drive fast cars, watch too much television, and listen to static noise than think about what was really happening in the world. Ray Bradbury shifts the blame from "Big Brother" to the people themselves.

How did the world/America respond?

     As with most dystopian classics, Americans were shocked as this magnifying glass was placed down over their culture. They were forced to look at the flaws that they and their government had created. Of course, this also made them fear for the future. Fahrenheit 451 had no problem being a big seller, even in its time. However, it is even more revered now. American's now understand how bad censorship and banning books and ideas can be.

How does the novel capture the time period?

     In the 1950's books were being banned left and right and cultural laziness was on the rise. Americans no longer wanted to think about hard times.  There was an effort to censor classics, comic books, and college criteria. An conflicting ideas to the general mindset of America were not good ideas. Fahrenheit 451 couldn't capture this time period more perfectly. It shows what could happen if Americans no longer wanted to think about the world. It shows what could happen if they no longer wanted to read.

What is the author implicitly trying to say?

     Ray Bradbury was simply trying to shine a spotlight on the ever growing concern of censorship. He pointed out how the government started censorship, but Americas were quick to censor themselves. Fahrenheit 451 shows how lack of care and empathy is almost as horrible as vicious crimes. The way Bradbury's characters have no moral sense of right and wrong is down right disturbing.  

Classics Response

Why is the book a classic?
     For my classic novel, I picked a a famous author who's books are known by all. J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit. I read The Hobbit. This book is a classic because it has lasted the test of time with many new and ground breaking ideas when it comes to writing. The book, first published in 1937, is still celebrated and read today. A movie series depicting the novel just released its final movie in December of 2014, showing how people are still interested in this story.

What is in the book that is new?
     Tolkien did many new things when it came to this book that hadn't really been done before, and if they had been done, Tolkien took the art to a new level and perfected it. Some major things Tolkien is known for doing different is putting a map at the beginning of his book to help readers really visualize his fantasy world. Also, he show cased many drawings he created. Before this, many authors didn't include drawings throughout their novels as it raised the price of the book. Most notably, however, Tolkien drew runes and created his very own functioning language to be included in the book. This had never been done before.

How did the world respond?
     The book was initially met with very positive and rave reviews in both the UK and the US. In 1938, the book was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. It also won a prize for best juvenile fiction of the year. In recent years, many have recognized the important impact this novel had on many other novels in the 20th century. Also, as previously mentioned, in recent years the novel has been adapted into a movie series, continuing the book's legacy to this day.
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How does the classic capture the time period?
     In the wake of World War I and on the cusp of World War II, a big part of this book is overcoming perils. Tolkien somewhat reflects the perils of war in this novel. Many see The Hobbit as Tolkien own journey during World War I, with an unlikely hero being plucked from his roots and thrown off into war in a far away land.

What is the author trying implicitly say?
     There are several very clear things that Tolkien is trying to say by writing this book.  A main point he makes is that life is about taking risks and trying to find yourself. He thinks that people should enjoy the journey of the world around them. Another huge moral of the story is trying to overcome greed and selfishness. The dwarfs, especially Thorin, can be seen as great symbols of greed. Throughout the whole novel, they are on a quest to find their ancestors lost gold. It is a wealth beyond measure, but they refuse to give any of it up. Also, of course, it can be surmised that The Hobbit warns against war and the tragedies there of it.