F451 Assignment #4

-Explain Beatty's idea that, "A book is a loaded gun in the house next door"(58).

By comparing a book to a loaded gun, Beatty is getting at how dangerous someone possessing a book could be to their society as a whole. Beatty is basically making a reference that makes it easier for readers in our time to understand the extent of how bad they considered owning books to be. In this case, when they get a call to go search a house believed to contain books, it is the equivalent to firemen or police officers being sent to a house believed to be filled with drugs or weapons. He is saying that those who own books automatically become a threat to them because they are capable of much more due to the knowledge that they had gained from reading. He also makes it clear how imperative it was that they do their job and make sure they empty all houses of such "weapons".


-Refute Beatty's claim that "If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none"(61).

This statement is saying that in order for Beatty and his firemen to gain even more power and for the people of those days to be happy, society must not allow them to think. They must give them no options in any aspects of their life. Beatty believed that if this happened, they would be happy with whatever they are given because they had never gotten the chance to know anything else. I disagree with this because I believe this is, in some ways, taking away free will that God has give all of his people. God created people so that they could think, feel, and make decisions for themselves. If men are allowed to do this, they are allowed the opportunity to be happy. If they are given no choice other than to do,say, or feel what society and the people in charge tell them, in no way will they lead normal and happy lives.