Shadows Burning Fire
To question your everyday circle and fight for something new, you reach the next level of knowledge. Feast your eyes upon the shadows dancing in front of you. Stand and watch the world burn, or fight it. Sear the fire and if you're to late Burn the Fire.
A shadow is a mirror, it can't do anything, say anything, or think anything; Relating the characters in this novel. These shadows are people, the government Is the fire. All these aspects of the irony the book shares. Montag breaks the chains abound to his arms, he's changed by Clarisse the sunlight, the trees, the wind. The fire's shadows are cast upon its prisoners, as the government's laws are thrown at its community. The firemen burn, but why? Is it because they are a mirror?
Fahrenheit 451 is almost a parallel response to Plato's allegory of the Cave. A certain philosophy that we're afraid of change, that we are willing to take unlawful risks just to avoid the simple concept of change. In the cave a fire set behind people casts shadows in front of them, it dances it talks, it thinks. Not literally, but it's real it's real in their way of life. We don't question our life even today. How could men go to church on Sundays, and pray to a God who teaches forgiveness and understanding, and then slaughter thousands of people in concentration camps for the rest of the week? Because they were told to. We don't question our way of life. Someone must give us salvation. A man breaks from his chains in Plato's Cave he first walks out of the cave and sees the world. That's his salvation. He was able to make the decision that change is right. Montag turns around begins to make his own decisions he shares it with others, but theoretically they kill him. The man in the cave releases the others and they kill him.
It's a philosophy that no matter the conditions, no matter the crisis the human mind won't accept change. An individual must have the discipline, the experience to be able to accept change. In the novel this is represented with people aware of the propaganda in front of them, but somehow they're okay with it they are willing to watch the world burn right in front of them. All because they're afraid of change, afraid of a hero, afraid of themselves. Isn't this what someone should strive not to become?
Fahrenheit 451 presents a government; not with a specific person, but with fire. The censorship it plays with as it burns books. What if one day our government suddenly banned every dammed memory in our mind? What if it chained us to a wall and casted shadows in front of us. What if it was a luxury to smell a flower, to see a blue sky, to swim in a pond? Do we take this for granted? As if every freedom in our soul was flushed from us, but to the point that we didn't understand the tasteless irony being in the governments mercy. Nothing around us is real, real is just a word; it's a definition of whatever something is. Neither is government, it isn't right, or real. Everything around us is a shadow; a shadow burned by a flame.
Fall, Pass Out, Wake up Stronger
Being a hero comes with a certain pride, but it also comes with a will to power. Friedrich Nietzsche a famous philosopher who had a theory; one such revolutionizing his and other's outlooks on faith. That "will to power" for all animals is more important than struggling for survival. "What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." Friedrich Nietzsche died in 1900.
What doesn't kill Montag only makes him stronger, it simply throws his previous beliefs and regards into relics. In "Burning Bright" the novel's extreme irony for warned itself on the page before; like an off-beat melody. The upcoming pages express the rage growing inside Montag like fire. Between the pressures orchestrated by Beatty, Faber, the Firemen, the Mechanical Hound, his home, the crowd building up around him, an outburst of power and force was almost pronounced. Finally the flicker of the safety switch and the hands; the rage explodes as if it were kerosene. "These hands seemed gloved in blood." Hands symbolize what one has done, or someone's past. Montag is finally beginning to realize his previous investments or works were so undignified, but defeating the final revolt against his protest was essential. What didn't kill Montag, made him stronger. "You always said, don't face a problem, burn it. Well, now I've done both. Good-bye, Captain." As Montag stumbles into the dark alley, a new revolution is born.
"Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave." Like Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Montag breaks free of the chains the government's holding, the shadows that the burning books cascade upon him. The hero; the hero. What if the hero didn't die? Would he have had more will to power? Heroes aren't half of what they are, unless they die. History isn't written, it's read.
Your personal conscience must be practiced and exercised. Without the ability to question or protest you're without a dignified conscience. "And if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore."
2010 Veterans Essay
Patriotism has changed, it's no longer routine. Patriotism is no longer about nations, ideologies, or ethnicity. It's a statement, by which an individual thrives upon to benefit himself. Or at least it is to me. It's safe to say patriotism isn't what it used to be. Unfortunately we must accept this, as today's priorities and method's are economy and business. Patriotism is still strong towards others' hearts; those who have fought or died for our noble country. Patriotism is a certain dignity that should be respected; but I believe many aren't dedicated to it, simply because the man or woman next to them isn't.
Patriotism lays root from the Elizabethan era; patriota "my countryman." In the 18th century religion in opposition to state, often contradicted with patriotism. For loyalty to the state indeed presented loyalty to the religion. Jean Jacques Rousseau a philosopher and composer was an essential contributor to patriotism. His philosophy's influenced the American and French revolutions.
"This Iraqi walks up to us and says, 'How can I help?' " Says Sergeant Bowers, who has served two tours in Iraq. Is patriotism dedication to one's country, or is it one's good will. The courage to say "How can I help?" the courage to do more in depth research the courage to share and the courage to do what's best for the person next to you. Releasing 400,000 of the government's classified files on the war in Afghanistan is in my opinion the most noble and courageous act of patriotism. A government has nothing to do with patriotism it has one thing and that is propaganda. Wiki leak's employees and contributors are sacrificing themselves to show America truth. Now its up to all citizens to ask what they can do to help.
All governments aren't perfect. As a matter of fact they are far from that. A president, a king, or a democracy is just an idol; an idol that represents itself as something to put fear in someone's eyes. This is how it was, and this is how it will always be. This is any form's most basic method. Governments are against changes, against revolutions, against rebellions. A president can't give us change, it's simply impossible. A presidents an illusion; but such a big illusion, someone wouldn't question their self, their country, or their government.
Nationalism takes so many different forms people find it hard to conclude the one true form, because the government has made it that way. Before Christ nationalism thrived. It still does. Nationalism certainly didn't have the same name, or the same definition. But it was essential for mankind to survive, mankind needed pride. Pride for its territory, pride for its peers, and pride for itself. So I ask you this. Isn't patriotism what you take pride in? Isn't patriotism the way you help to make everything beneficial and better for the world itself?
