Fahranheit 451: Beatty's Explanation of History

In Guy Montag’s world, history is an unknown subject. The spread of TVs the size of a wall was extremely rapid, so slow moving books gave people a sense of boredom instead of pleasure. The government completely took control of what people thought by using the TVs as an instrument to have total control of thought, to brainwash the citizens of their country. Political situations were proposed with complete propaganda showing either one-sided information—therefore the only information—or nothing at all. When Montag is unsure of the life before him, Beatty explains that they started the condensation of everything: books, newspapers, classes, the need for discipline, and one unmentioned condensed thing was free, creative thought. Although Beatty has been informed of the past, he still passionately believes that their present life is the correct lifestyle and that it’s better for the community to be unaware of any real things that happen or have happened. “Why learn anything…” (p. 55) Beatty accepts what the government tells him and believes it must be true, agreeing that with the society unaware, nothing can go wrong; the ironic thing is that “perfect” life has reached complete insanity.

Infinity Chamber

Life will continue until eternity ends,
Until infinity is discontinued.
Does infinity ever stop?
How large is infinity?
How far can infinity go?

You see the stars go into the distance
But they stand still.
They reach such a far distance
That the star we see may no longer exist.
The past remains in the past
Oh, so far away.
The past was once full of life
Now just a faint memory.
As time goes on,
The memories multiply,
Extending in all directions.
And as the memories sit in our head,
They grow weaker,
Seeming smaller and farther away.
The present is here for a split second,
Then dies away
Untouchable.

The Infinity Chamber represents life.
When you are locked in the small chamber
You experience the present
The precious time you live
Watching life go by.
Behind you lay your memories,
Your times of remembrance.
The glass in this chamber simply restricts
As life confines you to the present
Unable to relive the past again,
Yet the glass was made to be clear and see through
To represent availability to see memories in your mind.
The past has passed leaving only future ahead.
When one finishes reading this,
It too can be seen behind the glass
Of the mysterious infinite chamber.