Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Plot summary: Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires. And he enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs or the joy of watching pages consumed by flames, never questioned anything until he met seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid. They Guy met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think. And Guy Montag suddenly realised what he had to do.

My thoughts: I stumbled upon this novel in the ACICIS office here in Yogyakarta after feeling like I needed a break from constantly playing mind games in trying to read Indonesian newspaper articles, signs, short stories and university readings. I'll have to admit, it has been a while since I've read a fiction novel, so curdling up to this book over the past month has been my much-needed solace for my frenetic days in Indonesia.

I found myself drawn to Clarisse McClellan, finding parts of myself in her. I love her inquisitiveness, and her impatience to settle for the norm. Beyond great story telling, Bradbury utilises words to illustrate the confusion Montag feels in trying to comprehend the value of knowledge within books. 

It's hard to imagine a world with no books, but it is easier to see a world with censorship. When I find myself interested in what Kendall Jenner uploaded on Instagram, or what Gigi Hadid wore to the Grammys, I'm perturbed. Am I The Captain, am I Mildred and her friends, the suppressed individuals with tendencies to ignore real world issues - poverty, war, havoc? To quote the character Faber, burning books is a form of entertainment. Sometimes its easier to absorb the useless, boring lives of celebrities rather than think about worldly problems. Because thinking of the solutions is hard, and hard things take time.

Here in Indonesia, smoking advertisements are allowed, seen on every street corner and played on television. It's the social norm - smoking allows you become a man, be powerful and even courageous. With cigarette companies in Indonesia being one of the biggest in the country, these marketing strategies are large scale, making it's hard to ignore them - and easy to understand why smoking is the norm here.

The powers of mass media are incredible, but think of the incredible ways it could be used instead.

Ah the perils of our generation.

I don't have the solution, nor the capacity to think of one alone, but I can see, through the small acts of kindness amongst my generation every day in Yogyakarta, whether it be through grassroots social movements, volunteering for local NGO's or being passionate about those mind-perplexing world issues, we may be on the way to the answer. 

Dystopian novels can frighten, but can also warn, helping prevent an impeding future about the troubling times ahead. It is our duty to continue to remain inspired, engaged and focused in social justice and current political issues.