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Luis Hernandez
English 113B 11AM MON, WED
Professor Griffith
5 May 2016
Ignorance
During the reading of both books Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Oryx and Crake
by Margaret Atwood, we see many similarities in the stories. Its known that these books take
place in some type of dystopias. Where both the main characters Guy Montag and Snowman
AKA Jimmy have to face obstacles in their way, to do something better or bring greatness
again. But what really stands out in both of these book is ignorance, and how both main
character have something to do with it. In both dystopian novels, we see a similarity from both
main characters in that both characters are ignorant from the truth. Making it a good thing for

them until everything goes wrong.

In the Fahrenheit 451, we are told that Guy Montag is a fireman and that he burns book
because its illegal to read books, until he has a realization given to him by a little girl. During
this he starts having a change of thought of why they should burn books and not keep them. Its
speculated that all this takes somewhere during the 60s-70s were bigger televisions were very
popular only difference being that they are technologically more advanced than we are. During
this era fireman arent the typical fireman that take down kitten from trees or save houses from
fire, there the one starting the fires. Both books have some similarities someone telling others
what to do, getting rid of someone or something, both trying to ignore (or get rid of the past) the

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past and trying to forget the past. Remember that in this instance that Montag is about 20 years
older than Clarisse (this information will be useful later). Here is a quote from Fahrenheit 451;
Do you mind if I ask? How long have you been working as a fireman? Since I was
twenty, ten years ago. Do you ever read any of the books you burn? He laughed. Thats
against the law! Is it true that long ago fireman put fires out instead of going to start them?
NO. Houses always been fireproof, take my word for it.
Now this small paragraph is saying a lot. Take a look at this question is it true that long
ago fireman put fires out instead of going to start them? if looking deep at this one question
then there has to be some knowledge that at one-point fireman put out fires. Lets assume that
yes fireman did at one point put out fires. How in the world would she know that? Im pretty sure
fetuses cant remember much of anything if they are in the womb. Wouldnt be safe to say that
Montag should be the one remembering all of this instead of Clarisse. That would be more
convincing than a 17-year-old girl whos thought to be crazy. Lets also take a look at the age
gap. Clarisse states that she is seventeen. Well, she said, Im seventeen and crazy.
Its know that Montag is about early 30s and Clarisse is almost half his age. How in the
world would she have the knowledge that fireman are suppose or at least ask if they are supposed
to put the fire out and not start them, wouldnt one think that maybe Montag would have that
specific knowledge, he is twice her age by the way. Lets also take the last part of the quote and
crazy from all the things the author could of done she wanted to add this specific information,
why? Remember in this dystopia anyone who thinks beyond a specific point in time are
considered strange. Its never stated this but it wouldnt be that far off. This is a first glance of

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ignorance. A professor from the University of Colombia by the name of Stuart Firestein Ph.D.
says that theres two type of ignorance high-quality and low quality. He is the department chair
of biology for Colombia University and was asked by TED Talk to give a discussion on
ignorance. Discussing that theres two type people, those that are high-quality ignorant (or
cognitive ignorant) and low-quality ignorant and Guy Montag is one of them (high-quality
ignorant). Because he knows that they are not supposed to be doing this and yet he dose without
remorse. Is it because he created a barrier in his mind like a chest where he hides all the things he
doesnt want to remember making him think that this is ok. The reason that the chest was open
was because Clarisse is the key. Lets also look at OC (Oryx and Crake).
In the novel, we are the story through Snowmans poi t of view. Snowman is living in the
aftermath of an apocalypse, where a group of perfected kids are in his care. Where he has to
show the right and wrong to these kids. Quote;
Will they hurt us? Sometimes they find motor oil, caustic solvents, and plastic bottles of
bleach. Booby traps from the past. Hes consider to be an expert on potential accident: scalding
liquids, sickness fumes, poison dust. Pain of odd kids. Theses no, they are safe.
Theses kids at this point in life dont know much about anything really making low-quality
ignorance (not suggesting that they are stupid or dumb, but that they arent thought much like
everyone else like you or I) they are literally kids. Curious about everything asking question and
speculating what is everything. Snowman shows that hes a high-quality ignorant person keeping
the old knowledge of the time before the nuclear blast away from the kids. He just doesnt keep
this information away from there, but also religion and other important issues that at his time was

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bad. Some of the information from the kids are the things that Snowman believes that are bad
for these new kids. Why does he do this? Its believed is to keep the kids safe. Ask yourself this,
why? Why would he do this? Why would he keep valuable information away from them? Ill tell
you why, is to keep them from hurting themselves. Its understandable right trying to keep the
ones you love safe, but at what cost. He lies to them saying that the object is safe when clearly he
knows its not. Snowman is a very strange charter not because he lives in messed up world but
the fact that he lies to protect others. He lies to them because he cares for them. Like a mother
whos crying her eyes out because she doesnt have enough money to pay the rent and the little
kids comes and ask, are you ok mamma? She lies so they wont have to worry whether they are
going to eat or not. Snowman is technically their mother; the kids are being protected so they
wont make the same mistake that his life was based around on. They have a fresh start. Literally
they live in a world where not many others live in (that we know about), they are living like cave
men where the entire have to do is survive and become better than what Snowman life was based
upon.
We know that both Snowman and Montag are ignorant and we know why, but lets take a
look at the characters. Snowman aka Jimmy lived in a world where science is the most important
creating a doomsday for his way of living and making him get a new way of life and now lives in
an apocalyptic world where hes not happy or sad but neutral about the situation. Where science
was its down fall. Let look at Montag he lives in a world where science rules for the better where
no one has to worry about anything, everything basically done for you and no doomsday of sorts.
It can be argued that Snowman and Montag are the same character with different out comes.
Montag had the good outcome, where no one messed up with science, while Snowman got the

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short end of the stick where shit hit the fan. Montag and Snowman are the very similar character
in both how they act and how they make their decisions in their lives. Snowman has to choose
whether or not to kill the living humans and keep his kids safe from them or let them live and
have the knowledge that theres humans other that might cause harm to him and his kids, while
Montag has to decide whether he want to turn himself in or go and band together with a group of
people and fight to bring books back. While OC is vary vague on the ending we can say that he
will not tell his kids so that they can remain safe and not go out and look for them, but in
fharinhite 451 Montag is going to fight back what hes has been helping.
Throughout these books, we see that when they were unknowing about the truth both
Snowman and Montag they had great lives or even happy lives. They did not worry about
much or at all until someone messes it up. Before they knew where the humans were or that
burning books was a bad thing all they had to do is take care there significant other or their kids.
Montag had a marriage that was ok he had discussions of what to spend their money on and what
else to do like most marriages. He did not have to worry that he will found and taken to prison.
For Snowman had to take care of his kids and with keeping the knowledge from them that other
humans exist keeps them safe and out of harms way. These protagonists had almost good lives
and they have to give it up, either for their kids or for the safety of books. At the end of the day
being ignorant to the situation was a good thing (for at least for these books.) he could have been
a guy no one is looking for and your kids be safe from the wrongs of the world. Being ignorant
was the best thing they could done for these books.

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Work cited
Bradbury, Ray, and Joseph A. Mugnaini. Fahrenheit 451. New
York: Ballantine Books, 1953.

Print.

Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake: A Novel. New York: Anchor

Books, 2004. Print.

Tedtalk. "Stuart Firestein: The Pursuit of Ignorance." Stuart

Firestein: The Pursuit of Ignorance. Youtube, 24 Sept. 2013. Web.