Just Fun, No Rules

451 degrees fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns.  In the book I am reading, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the main character Montag is a fireman.  However, in his life, firemen are people who start fires and burn all books so that nobody gets crazy ideas besides basic facts such as names of states.  Also in his world, there are basically no rules.  Kids can go around killing each other, and are encouraged to go to the amusement park 24/7.   However, although many people in the book don't realize it, this form of chaos and fun doesn't actually make them truly happy.  This makes me think about the difference between having fun and being happy.

In the book, although Montag said he was happy at first, a 17 year old girl helped him realize otherwise.  For example, because of the no rules and ample amount of fun to have, people in Montag's life never get to know each other.  Barely anyone ever talks to one another. Montag realizes this when his own wife had a near death experience, and he realized he wouldn't have cried if she had died.  In truth, they were complete strangers not worth caring about.  Also, through this lack of conscience because of the no rules policy, people are left to take horrible actions while "having fun."  For example, while Montag and other firemen filled up on glee from burning the books of a house, they burned and killed a women.  Beatty, another fireman's excuse was that she was crazy for having all those books and she would have committed suicide anyways.  Overall, I think there is a fine line between having fun and being happy.

In conclusion, although being happy and having fun can often go together, sometimes it's the opposite.  When people say that they wish there were no rules, I think that they should reconsider that.  If having fun is taken too far, it can often lead to supporting chaos and no rules.  And that, as exemplified by people in Montag's life, can lead to a very unhappy life where people die and get hurt.  A place where no one cares for each other.  This book has also made me think about the importance of having a stable set of rules, so that the world isn't chaotic and so dangerous.