Fahrenheit 451

"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal…A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man's mind." Guy Montag's world is far from what you would call having individuality among the many people. It was as though no one had their own rights to whatever they would have wanted to do, it was chosen for them. Although equality and respect are two very important qualities to behold, to treat someone too equally can manifest a misery. His world in comparison to our world is with no contest a lesser form of living—a critical way of thinking. I cannot even perceive how it would be like to live in a world as his, no books to run away to during times of sorrow, and pain. The idea confuses me and challenges my mind to comprehend what these people thought when they created this so called civilized community. Every single person should have the authority to express what is on their mind, and choose their way of living. Without that ability, everyone would live the same, think the same, and more importantly, feel as if they were one being, which is certainly not a concept someone of the real world would want to follow.

The quote "What we resist, persists," by Carl Jung, is an abundant example of the strategy they know is true in Guy Montag's community. Their way of living does indeed persist, and although he does later realize the dullness of the situation, there is no way which he could have changed the community. It was just how they looked at life—always was and always would have been. I found great superiority in his choice to no longer follow this on his own term. One wonders if Beatty enabled himself to gain legal access to books through his position of authority, or possibly used his book-educated mind to manipulate Montag. Montag, though,  knew he could not live this way forever, so Montag decided to run away. What was happening was too much for him to take in, and unfortunately, he had been betrayed. Betrayed by his own wife. Montag ran off, away from the dreaded town while the war persisted. Finally, he along with his new friends searched for survivors and rebuilt civilization. His opportunity of living a life where his individuality could be brought out finally became a reality, a reality that he himself had created.

Guy Montag had more than anything, an extensive amount of circumstances that anyone of the real world would fear, but by the end of his great journey throughout the novel, seemed as though fears were a thing of the past. He obviously, overcame his fear of books, but more importantly, overcame the fear of not following what everyone else was doing, and performed his own beliefs. What should we fear in the real world? Many would think freedom, and many times wonder if we can remain free. I personally think, that we can indeed remain free, all depending on the actions of others as well as our own. As for what we fear, should be decided ourselves personally as individuals. Anyone can overcome their fears, as Guy Montag did, but the choice of pursuing that action is with no doubt an accomplishment that is to any ones ability. The only way this action can be accomplished, though, is if you have a mindset on what you truly want to pursue. You have the power to overcome your fears. You have the power to not just sit there, watching books burn before your eyes. You have the power to walk away, and carry out your dreams.