Question

Meaning

"With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word
'intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar. Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally 'bright,' did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn't it this bright boy you selected and tortured after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every
her; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge lemselves again. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the lot from the weapon. Breach man's mind. Who knows who might be the target of the ell-read man? Me?"

Answer 1

This passage, taken from Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, highlights the dystopian society where intellectualism is frowned upon and conformity is celebrated. The author argues that the education system has been transformed to emphasize physical activities rather than critical thinking skills, leading to the depreciation of the term "intellectual." The passage suggests that the society is afraid of change and unfamiliar ideas, as evidenced by the torture of the bright boy in the class. The author also argues that the society values conformity over individuality, resulting in everyone being made equal, where there are no differences to judge or mountains to overcome. However, the author also cautions that this societal structure is dangerous and emphasizes the need for free thought and access to knowledge, as books are perceived as a threat to the current system.