Who Will Take the Path Less Traveled
It is rare to find people who will sacrifice everything by rebelling against society to find the truth. John of “By the Water of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benét and Guy Montag of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury are both people willing to lose everything to discover the true meaning of what their society has censored. The similarities between John and Guy are unmistakeable and they warrant detailed examination. It is important to notice their path of enlightenment, rebellion against society, and their figures of wisdom. The similarities between John and Guy are profound and they merit thorough analysis.
John and Guy both went on a personal path of enlightenment. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy pursues books in his…show more content… The society in which Guy lives in is one of censorship where reading, even owning a book is forbidden. Guy is actively collecting books which contradicts his job, which is shown in the following passage, “He put his hand back up and took two books and moved his hand back down and dropped the two books to the floor.” (Bradbury 65). Guy reveals his collection to Mildred and the audience, showing he has been actively collecting books which contradict his job and is forbidden. This places him farther and farther away from society. In a society where venturing out of your village is risky, John wants to go to the Place of the Gods which is forbidden. John is told by his father, “It is forbidden to travel east. It is forbidden to cross the river. It is forbidden to go to the Place of the Gods. All these things are forbidden.” (Benét 176). In order to find his truth, John felt he needed to go the Place of the Gods even though it is banned. Through detailed examination, a strong connection is shown through their rebellion against…show more content… It is important to notice a path of enlightenment, rebellion against society, and figures of wisdom. These comparisons are relevant because it made me think of how our society would develop without people who stand true to what they believe in, even if it means going against society and the risk of losing everything. Although Fahrenheit 451 was written a while ago, it still connects to our society today because we face similar challenges when it comes to new technological advances, like iPhones. In conclusion, the similarities between John and Guy Montag are unmistakeable in the way that they both go on a path of enlightenment with the help of the figures of wisdom by rebelling against society's
