The Crucible and farenheit 451 are both classic works of literarytue that show how extremism and societal sway can change a person’s life. Both stories have strong themes that flow in the same direction, but also have contrasting aspects that set them apart.
Fahrenheit 451 and The Crucible are both centered around extremism and the antagonism between the extremist forces who are trying to advocate for moderation within the society. In Fahrenheit 451, the government has brainwashed its people inot an anti-intellectualist society and has called for the burning of all books. The main character, Montag, is now going against the extremist views of society and hiding books to read for himself. Continuing this theme in The Crucible, society has been rocked by a series of witch-hunts and a sting of injustices among the accused. These injustices are being pushed on people in the hopes of ridding society of evil, and John proctor is advocating for fair trials and only punishing those proven guilty with fair and tangible evidence.
On theme these stories also have is the impact that differing societal vies can have on a family, town or in different circumstances, a household. In The Crucible, the Salem township is torn apart by the witch-hunts and trials, John Proctor and his wife give us a perfect example of this, as their marriage has been deemed unfaithful due to John’s affain with Abby. In the same way, Fahrenheit 451 shows us how Montag and his almost robot-like wife, mildred, have been affected by differeing societal views, which in turn results in marital issues.
Both of these books also feature a lot of witch-hunt dissenting views. Things that go against society are not just frowned upon, but actively sought after. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag finally realizes the importance of knowledge and literature, which causes him to hide books and read them for himself. When this is discovered, hi “friends” don’t just burn the books for him but they burn his house down too.. In the Crucible, John Proctor has caught himself in an extra-marital affair. Proctor is also the strongest voice against the methodology used by the officials in Salem, due to the convictions being backed by evidence that can’t be shown or proven during trial. Proctor is grill for his stance and is accused of defending witchcraft, which ultimately pins him as guilty.
