A topic I am seriously considering researching for my American Literature project is how the author develops relationships between both the main character and whats considered normal for his life or in his society and the main character and some abnormality in his society or life. I've noticed in the two outside reading books I've read, Anthem and Fahrenheit 451, both have main characters that end up involved in situations with people and objects that aren't acceptable in their society and ones that are foreign to their normal way of life.
In Anthem, Equality 7-2521 end up completely defying social norms and making electricity from objects found underground, found by breaking the rules, and he runs away with the Golden One, who he met while working. Rebelling from the social norm of following the same daily routine every day once one gets assigned is a big deal in the book and is a big idea to have in the book. Throughout American Literature the idea of rebellion can be found within the texts whether embedded in the whole plot or in the subtext of a few words, and it makes an impact either way.
In Fahrenheit 451, Guy ends up involved with a girl who is considered odd for their society and he has a book, something forbidden in their society. He also is in cohorts with Faber to keep books from being burned by firemen. He met Faber while walking in the park and he chose to meet up with him again and make this plan. He is rebelling from the social norms of not really thinking and not reading, Guy does not just want to go on with his life watching meaningless soap operas of his "family" and speeding in his car down the highway. When he actually thinks about whats going on in his society and sees the problems with it he decides to do something about it and by making radical decisions to go through with his plan the idea of rebellion again shows up.
By looking at this idea of rebellion throughout American Literature, maybe its possible to connect the radical-ness of the ideas in bestsellers to actual rebellions or big changes in the real world during the same time period. As far as the idea of looking for movie/TV show/play connections to this book I can find none but the idea of books being an illegal object and the super controlled society in which people can not think for themselves is an idea seen in many.
