Why does Bradbury think that books are better than TV? Do you agree or disagree? How does this change given electronic book readers like the Kindle?
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I was lazy to go buy the book but needed to do this assignment. I haven’t been to a bookstore in a long time and I when I got there I remembered the smell and the feeling I used to have going to buy a book. I even looked at other books that I might want to read in the future, which was mindboggling to me. I also watched the movie that was made based from the book on my Netflix account. Another way that books can be good is that movies can be made from them and after reading the book someone can watch the movie and compare both to see if they were similar or different. They can have intellectual discussions with others who did the same, and expand their knowledge.
Why does Bradbury think that books are better than TV?
From reading and watching the movie Fahrenheit 451 I believe that Bradbury thinks books are better then TV for several reasons. The feeling someone gets from reading a book is much different then the feeling someone gets from watching a program on television. The smell of a book, the idea of holding a book in your hands, the and overall emotions someone relates to from reading a book. By reading a book a person is able to discuss with others about what they have read. They can then share feelings and reviews about the book, which will also further a persons knowledge. In Fahrenheit 45, Bradbury uses “The Book People,” which includes people from the society that break the rules and read books to gain intellect. They discuss and memorize passages from books that they have illegally read. They are the people that seem to be the smartest and the most intelligent in the society. Another character that Bradbury uses to show why he thinks books are better then TV is Professor Faber, who was an English professor and shows Guy Montag why books are good. When the two meet, the professor asks Montag, “Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores. It has features. This book can go under the microscope. You’d find life under the glass, streaming past in infinite profusion. The more pores, the more truthfully recorded details of life per square inch you can get on a sheet of paper, the more ‘literary’ you are” (Bradbury 83). I feel that this shows what and how Bradbury feels about books. I mean you can totally feel the difference from the way Faber speaks and the way others speak in the story. Faber is a man that read a lot and he has plenty of intellect to explain why reading is important, while on the other hands others that don’t read don’t have much to say. This is seen from the character of Montag’s wife, Mildred. Montag wants to try to find out the meaning and the importance of reading. He wants to understand the meanings from the books he reads, but he has no one to talk to because books are banned. After he realizes the dissatisfaction in his life he starts to read some of the books that he hid for a while that he never burned. After reading some he wants to talk about them but he cant talk to his wife about the books because all she does is watch TV with her friends, taking pills and she isn’t interested in books and what they may offer to her life.
Many others like Bradbury feel it is more intellectual to read then to watch TV and someone can gain more knowledge from a book. Books let the reader paint pictures in their head, while using their imagination other then letting the TV create the atmosphere for you. Bradbury explains that processing the written information gives readers the chance to relate the characters and events to their own lives. It makes individuals use reasoning so they are able to exercise their brains to another level.
I like and enjoy watching TV/movies much more then reading a book, but at some level I do believe and agree with Bradbury. But I would have to say that I disagree that books have much more to offer then television. Some of the reasons why I like TV better then books is that information is given to someone faster. Personally I read slower then others, so it isn’t as easy as some think just to sit down and start reading, it sucks! But if I am interested in a book’s topic that it presents then I am defiantly more intrigued to read. I get bored just sitting around reading, I know I have a lot of trouble sitting down to read and it does not excite me as much as watching TV. I know exactly what shows I like and don’t like I don’t have to read the back of a book to find out if I like it or not.
TV can help the brain much like books do. TV shows, like kids shows teach the ABC’s, and teach then how to work together. Some of these programs are Sesame Street, Curious George, Dr. Seuss Stories, Barney, Mister Rogers, and Thomas the Train Engine. Movies and TV shows can expand the mind because they have suspense and many times have an interesting and compelling theme. Shows and movies can even leave you with a life lesson or a question that is unanswered so that you can determine your own answers to the questions.
If I can change the channel if a show gets boring so you can watch something more interesting to you. People don’t need to be able to read to watch TV, and You can just put the TV on if your lazy, and don’t want to hold a book to your face and read. One of the largest reasons I think I feel so defensive to that some think books are better then TV is that because I was always assigned to read books for school I see it as a chore and not a relaxing thing to do.
My mother has a Kindle because she loves to read and much rather read then watch TV. She could read numerous books a day if she had the time. The shelves in my family room at my house are filled up with books because she reads so much. Our books from when we were kids are there also and since my dad is a chef he collects all of his cookbooks and notes from culinary school. Once my mom finds an author that she likes she will read all of the books in the author’s series. She has always been a fan of authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, and James Patterson. Her favorite part about going on vacation is that she gets to read books, and now that she has a Kindle it makes it much easier for her to read whenever, and wherever. Other then packing and carrying 10 books around she only needs to take her Kindle with her. From a statement from my awesome mother about how she feels about her Kindle,
“I love my kindle. I can have all my books with me at all times. No packing many books when I travel. You can change the type of font and size for your eyes. I think it is easier to read than print books and it is more comfortable to read than a book because if its size. I read more now because I have the Kindle. I can download all the books I want to read and get samples of the books before I buy them. When people give me names of books I should read I get samples of the books on my Kindle. When I open up my kindle it goes to the page that I left off. I can use the dictionary if I don't know a word and I can browse and shop on my Kindle. If other family members have kindles you can share books with each other. My iPhone also has a Kindle application that allows me to read from my phone.” Some of the negative aspects of the Kindle that she told me was that there is, “no service at our Vermont house so I have to have the books down loaded before I go up there. Also I can't share the book with others because of the service problem and not all books come out with a Kindle version right away.”
The Kindle has taken reading to a whole other level. It allows you to download, save and read books electronically, which are known as e-books. The Kindle has instant wireless access to Amazon.com that makes it very easy to buy books. There are over 115,000 books that are available to buy and there are many more coming everyday. Another cool feature is that a user can read newspapers, and magazines subscriptions. The Kindle also allows people to play MP3’s and listen to audio books.
I think that for people who like to read the Kindle incorporates fun into reading, and you only need one device to do it with. And since it is light and compact it can be carried anywhere. Think of it as a convenient portable TV for books
No comments:
Post a Comment