Re-reading Fahrenheit 451 at a certain age.

Reading Fahrenheit 451 as a teen hits completely different than it does for my forty-three year old self. I'm re-reading the book aloud with my fourteen year old son as a part of his ELA for school and feel flabbergasted that so much went over my head that first and second time I read it. 

The amusing part is I remember feeling enlightened upon reading the book! Maybe it hits different due to the juxtaposition of our media/digital world being so prominent and parallel to scenarios in the book that it has my head whirling and my thoughts spinning. Still, I distinctly remember drawing comparisons and examples of the vapidness in pop culture during that time the same way I'm drawing pop culture and political parallels now. It's a testament to Bradbury's strong theme and storytelling. The description of some of the futuristic systems and robotic dog are striking and relevant to this day. As I read this time around I'm realising that this book will likely ring true and poignant for any time period. 

This time around my mind latches onto how extensive book bans have gotten. They were happening before but we're at an all time misguided high now. When Montag's boss gives his supporting arguments as to why they burn books it's sounding mighty familiar. 

"If you don’t want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none."

"Colored people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it. Someone’s written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book."

"So now do you see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life. The comfortable people want only wax moon faces, poreless, hairless, expressionless."