The Proposed Classic 1
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)
Themes:
In the late 1950s, Bradbury observed that the novel touches on the alienation of people by media:
In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451, I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only a few weeks ago, in Beverly Hills one night, a husband and wife passed me, walking their dog. I stood staring after them, absolutely stunned. The woman held in one hand a small cigarette-package-sized radio, its antenna quivering. From this sprang tiny copper wires which ended in a dainty cone plugged into her right ear. There she was, oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap-opera cries, sleep-walking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there. This was not fiction.
In the late 1950s, Bradbury observed that the novel touches on the alienation of people by media:
In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451, I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only a few weeks ago, in Beverly Hills one night, a husband and wife passed me, walking their dog. I stood staring after them, absolutely stunned. The woman held in one hand a small cigarette-package-sized radio, its antenna quivering. From this sprang tiny copper wires which ended in a dainty cone plugged into her right ear. There she was, oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap-opera cries, sleep-walking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there. This was not fiction.
The Proposed Alternative 1
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (2009)
Theme Connector:
The Maze Runner takes place in the MAZE in 2232. Fahrenheit 451 also takes place in the future and questions the role of censorship. Both of the novels have dystopian qualities and tell of what the world could become in a matter of years.
While Fahrenheit 451 is a warning of what the future could be, it stresses the importance of people thinking for themselves. The Maze Runner also tells the story of trying to make a difference in the world, but it also stresses the importance of trust and friendship.
The Maze Runner takes place in the MAZE in 2232. Fahrenheit 451 also takes place in the future and questions the role of censorship. Both of the novels have dystopian qualities and tell of what the world could become in a matter of years.
While Fahrenheit 451 is a warning of what the future could be, it stresses the importance of people thinking for themselves. The Maze Runner also tells the story of trying to make a difference in the world, but it also stresses the importance of trust and friendship.
The Proposed Classic 2
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
Themes
· Man’s Inhumanity to Man
· The Saving Power of Family and Fellowship
· The Multiplying Effects of Selfishness and Altruism
The Proposed Alternative 2
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)
Theme Connector:
Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck presents both greed and generosity as self-perpetuating, following cyclical dynamics. True altruism requires not only that we are nice to one another, but that we also do so at a real cost to ourselves without any expectation of any possible gain.
This topic comes up in The Road as well because of the starkness of human interaction. The question – are humans fundamentally selfish or altruistic? – is a recurring theme in both novels.
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