In today’s society we live a world with two types of people, one where knowledge from books is considered rich and one where is it considered outdated and useless. When analyzing The Book Thief and Fahrenheit 451, there are an abundance of similarities and differences between the two and there are pieces of evidence that show both types of people from each society. Fahrenheit 451 is a novel written by Ray Bradbury that tells the story of a fireman named Guy Montag who rebels against a society of people who ridicule books and literature. The Book Thief is by Markus Zusak. This story is about a young girl named Leisel Meminger and her journey living in the world of Nazi Germany where Jewish writings are banned. In Fahrenheit 451 censorship of books is the main topic of the story. It relates much to The Book Thief. Similarities between the two books are that new ideas and knowledge was toxic to society. The protagonists attempt to take steps forward to break away from their accustomed ways of living in their society. An example is in Fahrenheit 451, Montag steals a book from a house because he was interested in what knowledge a book contains. In The Book Thief Leisel also steals a book, due to her interest in reading. An example of a contrast would be that in Fahrenheit 451 all books were illegal and in The Book Thief only certain books are.
After reading both books it becomes evident that there are a lot of similarities between Montag and Leisel and the censorship of books in the worlds they are living in. For one, they both develop an interest for books unlike the people around them. In Fahrenheit 451 Montag develops an interest for books when the firemen go and burn down a woman’s house. Montag discovers the book and steals it, while also hiding it from everyone else. “Montag felt the hidden book pound like a heart against his chest” (Bradbury 39). This exemplifies how nervous he was for this newfound knowledge that he has just taken. This shows Montag as a risk taker for the things he cares about, even though it’s considered wrong he puts his morals about the education of books before what other people think. In The Book Thief Leisel discovers a book on the ground when she begins to embark on her new life with her new foster parents, the Hubermanns . “Only the girl saw it. She bent down and picked it up and held it firmly in her fingers” (Zusak 24). The author expresses this detail because it is a crucial part of the story. This is when her admiration for reading begins her interest in the book changes her life, much like Montag, and overall makes both of then more knowledgeable about new ideas that could relate to their lives. This can be seen as the start of a new beginning for them.
An example of the differences between censorship within both books is the intensity of banning books in each world. is that in Fahrenheit 451 censorship was more more intense. Every book and all types of literature is illegal in this society. People constantly ridicule books and express their hatred for them. An example of this is when Captain Beatty tells Montag why he hates books. “What traitors books can be… you think they’re backing you, and they turn on you” (Bradbury 107). Books are seen as traitors and they seem to confuse people, people seem to hate it because they can’t understand it. Books make life more difficult for people, especially when they can’t understand the concept and what they try to contribute to society. However in The Book Thief there is a tremendous difference that pertains to what type of books are banned. Books that are written by Jews or that praise them, are burned. An example of this would be when Leisel witnesses people burning Jewish literature. “Two posters advertising a Jewish poets, three books, and a wooden sign with something written in Hebrew” (Zusak 119) . Literature as a whole is looked differently in The Book Thief. It isn’t all considered evil, in fact school is seen as important. It’s only certain books that are considered wrong. Leisel lives in a world where certain people are discriminated against, so literature that involves them is seen as wrong and based on the evidence included in both novels, the censorship of books is barrier between the similarities.
The next similarity is one between the characters in the novels. They both know that they can get in trouble for having books so they attempt to conceal the books from others. Due to the fear of being discovered and punished. Montag knows that he lives in a society where people are brutally punished for having books. A simple quote from Fahrenheit 451 explains this “For god’s sake let me be cried Montag passionately” (Bradbury 56). When Mildred becomes close to uncovering a book in front of Captain Beatty Montag attempts to remain calm, but in reality he is panicking because he knows that if he gets discovered for having a book he will face consequences . This shows that in the society Montag is living with people who live in constant fear of being discovered for having books. This induces terror in people and they constantly feel paranoid even if they hear the word book. In The Book Thief Leisel at first, begins to hide the book because he fears the unknown reaction from her foster parents that she hasn’t gotten to know yet. “On her first night with the Hubermanns, she has hidden her last link to him.. under the mattress” (Zusak 38). She doesn't want to tell them about the books because she isn’t prepared for their reaction. So she would rather hide it and not face them, at least not now. The difference here is that her foster parents wouldn’t have a negative reaction to her having a book. However that doesn’t take away from the fact that they both share a similar fear to their secrets being uncovered.
The final difference of the censorship is each novel refers to the censorship of books in their homes and how other characters around them. In Fahrenheit 451 Mildred Montag does not want Montag to embark on his research on books. She is part of the static of of people who hate books and see them as a step back in society. She is very vocal about her opinion while talking to Montag. “Books aren’t people. You read and I look all around, but there isn’t anybody” (Bradbury 73). In a way, Mildred attempts to persuade Montag to give up on his quest for knowledge through books because she believes that books are toxic and cause nothing but harm for herself and others. Hans Hubermann from The Book Thief however, gladly encourages Leisel to learn to read and even guides her along the way. “Do you want to read it? Again yes papa” (Zusak 64). Hans wants better for Leisel, so he puts her needs even before his own and begins to read with her every night to build a pathway for a future where she can live in a world where she can turn to books for comfort and knowledge. The people around these characters truly express the censorship of books and both of society’s viewpoints on it. One character refers to it as horrible and the other sees it as a good stepping stone to a knowledgeable future. They both partake in a crucial impact on each character’s thoughts and are ultimately responsible for each character’s actions throughout each novel . Leisel decided to listen to her papa Hans, but Montag decided to rebel against Mildred and others that agree that books are wrong.
In these two societies we see two different views of censorship of books. We see books as useless and as traitors but we also see them discriminated against. That certain books are good but others are terrible. In all reality, both novels send out a message from its characters that literature is poisonous toward society. This is crucial to note because these stories have a very important message to people. People today don’t realize how books contribute to society, this could become a reality. It’s vital for people today to appreciate the authenticity of literature. As a whole people should continue to appreciate literature and what it offers, in order to prevent living in a world where people begin to forget about books, all kinds of books.