Being Good American: 'Fahrenheit 451' and 'Anthem'
The true meaning of being an American goes far outside the limits of the lawful terminology behind the legal terminology of what an American citizen is. There is no distinct faith, ethnic group or language that must be abided by to be an American. America is known as a land of freedom and liberty, where anything is possible. In being a good American essay I want to cogitate what is to be an American using literature example.
One of the major values that America stands for is freedom. Freedom of choice, freedom of speech, freedom of expression; the list continues on and on. These freedoms allow Americans to have the opportunity to voice their opinions, express creativity, pursue happiness and have a high-quality life. Freedom of speech provides the people with individuality, steers us away from tyranny and gives the people a voice when national decisions are made. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is forced to live in a society where everyone is taught not to express their feelings and thoughts. He is unable to talk to his wife and cannot communicate with others. This frustrates Montag when he says, “Nobody listens anymore. I can’t talk to the walls because that are yelling at me. I can’t talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it’ll make sense”. Ultimately, without the freedom of speech, the government has complete control over the people in their society.
The society presented in Fahrenheit 451 is very similar to the one in Anthem. In Anthem, they live in a collectivist civilization with absolutely no freedom and where individualism is punished with execution. They ignore what might be best for an individual and focus entirely on what would be best for their government. They live by the words, “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible forever” and are forced to use the pronoun “we” when referring to themselves since the regime is the only important thing. Eventually, when Equality, the protagonist, runs away from this world and discovers his individuality, he begins to use the word “I” instead of “we” to refer to himself: “I am. I think. I will.” The lack of basic freedoms in Fahrenheit 451 and Anthem is what caused both dystopian societies to be unsuccessful, suppressive and immoral. The protagonists in each work of literature are unable to act without constraint and suffer because of this.
To end up, in America, these freedoms are given to the people and cannot be taken away. The opportunity to make one’s own decisions is one of the most important things America stands for.
