By Siena Oliver, ’27

Staff Writer

In English class the last two years, I’ve read 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. These two books were published four years apart in 1949 and 1953 respectively. They are both cautionary tales about the future, the use of technology, and mass censorship of a society that seems not to care that they are being manipulated.  Both books are extremely important in the literary world, but I found Fahrenheit far more enjoyable to read.

Both books follow men living in dystopian societies, who eventually start to question their ways. The protagonist of 1984, Winston, begins his story working at the “Ministry of Truth” where his job is to edit and censor all types of media and information, essentially changing history. Montag, from Fahrenheit 451, works as a fireman who burns books, which is another form of censorship. Both of these characters work in respected jobs for the government and actively take part in changing the information that is given to the public. At some point in both of the books, the protagonists each have a revelation about how they cannot stand to live under the rule of an all-powerful government that so blatantly controls the information they receive. Winston and Montag both end up rebelling, and in doing so make connections with people they otherwise would not have.  

Although the books are fairly similar in terms of content and meaning, I personally disliked 1984 but enjoyed Fahrenheit 451. In my opinion, 1984 was too long and often seemed to drone on with unnecessary and boring information, while Fahrenheit 451 was a fairly fast-paced and short read that held my attention throughout the entire story.  I found the authors’ writing styles to be a bit wordy and confusing at times, often sounding sort of like poetry. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the length and excitement of the book. As a reader, I dislike stopping books in the middle, but with 1984, I nearly did because it was so hard for me to get through.