Blog 3- Important ideas and learnings

I think that my thinking was affected a lot by what other people had to say and by what they wrote. Their opinions helped me to open my mind and think more about what I wanted to write. On one post I was having trouble thinking of what I wanted to write about and then another classmate and I started talking about one of the questions on the answer sheets for our books. Her thoughts and responses to my question made me think about responses that I never would have come up with on my own. Another time I was reading a post from someone in another class. They had written something that I didn’t agree with %100 and it gave me more to talk about. I think that the blogging process was very beneficial to me this time because if I was having trouble with a post I could read what other people had to say and either elaborate on what they had to say if I could or I could restate what they had to say if I disagreed with it. Not only that but it was kind of fun being able to put Vili Valo as my profile picture. Another thing that helped me a lot was the questions that we had to answer while reading the book. They helped me understand the book and make me elaborate when I was stuck.

Blog 2-Prallels

One of the parallels between the novel and our world today is that the Government makes us afraid of them because they have so much power. The people in Fahrenheit 451 fear the Government so much that any rules that they come up with, no matter how stupid it is, the people will follow. The biggest example is no reading. Books are illegal because the Government doesn’t want the people to get ideas in their head that may corrupt their thinking. The Government in Fahrenheit 451 abuses their power in order to keep themselves happy. I think that relates to the society that we live in today. If you give a person who is irresponsible just a little bit of power, it will go to their head and they will abuse it. That doesn’t just pertain to the Government. Cops, teachers, bosses all can abuses their power. We see it all the time and most of us are too afraid to do anything about it. Another thing that is parallel in the book and our society is something that Professor Faber says; “Those that don’t build, burn.” In Fahrenheit 451 the people that are smart enough to realize what is going on and have the ability to correct it, don’t. They just sit back and think that someone else will take car of it. This relates to our society because when most people see something wrong and have to ability to change it, they just close one eye and pretend that everything is fine. They are burning the world because they won’t stop the chaos, or “put out the fire.”

Blog 1-Warnings

In Fahrenheit 451, Author Ray Bradbury sends out many warnings to readers about how the Government is too powerful and can suppress our individual freedoms. In the society, anyone that is found with books in their house is to be arrested, and their houses and books are to be burned. One example of the Government suppressing individual freedoms is the fact that they don’t allow books. Anyone that is found with books will be arrested and their house will be burned. They think that books are meaningless and will put useless ideas into a person’s head. In the book, Guy Montag and the other fireman went to a call and burned an old woman alive in her house. She refused to leave her books so she just stayed in her house. The government would rather have people dead than reading books. Another example of the government having too much power is that they have made people believe that it is socially unacceptable to spend time alone, think independently, have meaningful conversations, and enjoy nature. Anyone that participates in these activities is deemed a social outcast. Socially acceptable behavior is considered sitting around watching TV all day with other people, having pointless conversations. Montag’s wife just sits around all day and watch’s her wall TV. Of the few conversations she had with her friends consisted of how children are a waste of time and that death can’t happen in their family. I think that anyone that reads this book should take into consideration the control the government had not only in the book but in society today as well.

Why does America look good?

Americas looks good because the people and the society don't know all the faults and troubles that are going on. They don't know the trouble some people have to face on a day to day basis. This is similar to the world today because we only know what the Government wants us to know about. We don't know the full extent of what is going on in the world. For example, most of the people in America don't know what the situation in Iraq is. I bet that if we knew exactly what was going on and what the President is and isn't doing, America wouldn't look as good as it does when it is blindfolded.

"Those that don't buld, Burn"

When Faber says "Those that don't build, burn" he means those who don't grow and learn from tough situations, will just make their lives worse. If you don't try and correct the wrong that you see going on and you don't try and fix your mistakes you will just make society and life worse and you will be "burning" it. That's like our society and like how society has always been because their are always people that have the ability to correct a mistake or grow from a bad situation and they don't because they wallow in their own self-pity. In Fahrenheit 451 Faber admits to Montag that he saw the society going downhill and he didn't do anything about it. I think that he feels like he burned the society and feels guilty about it and he is trying to make up for it with Montag. He doesn't want Montag to make the same mistakes that he did.

In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is very unhappy. He doesn't realize his unhappiness until he meets his 17 year old neighbor. I think that there are many different reason's why he is unhappy. One is that he doesn't have any kids and maybe he wants them but his wife doesn't. Another reason could be because of what Clarisse tells him about the past. He may want to believe her but he knows that he can't because of the society he lives in. He may also disagree with the laws that all the books must be approved. Also, from what I have read so far, Montag's wife seems very unappreciative and very self centred. She seems to want to spend all of the money that he makes before he even makes it. I know that if I was married to someone like that I would be miserable.

Dangers of Blog Postings

Some of the potential dangers that are discussed in the articles that Mr. Miller asked us to read are teenagers can post their entire lives on their blogs. They think that what they are putting on their blogs is privet, and that they can control who reads the blog. Another potential danger is that students can write some very hurtful things on their blogs which may cause conflict in outside of cyber-space. I think that all of the concerns are legitimate. All of the concerns that people have about blogs are legitimate. It's very easy for a person to think that their blog is privet and that only certain people are allowed to read them. It's also very easy for a person to write something harmful that can affect someone on a personal level outside of the blog. Some of the dangers that weren't discussed in the articles were the dangers of predators. Predators are one of the most dangerous things in blog spaces. People can very easily assume an identity that isn't theirs and most people believe them in a second.

Rules:
1. Don't record any personal information and don't post pictures of yourself.
2. Don't get out your anger on your blog, and don't post anything that you think might even remotly make another person feel uncomfrtoble or offended.