As humans, we tend to have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. We seek knowledge about everyone and everything around us in our daily lives. Unfortunately, we must accept that in the grand scheme of life, we (as a society) tend to place pleasure ahead of our pursuit of knowledge. The pursuit of knowledge tends to take up time and energy, two things we consider invaluable, and it also shows us things that might depress us. On the other hand, ignorance requires neither time nor energy. Besides (as the common saying goes), ignorance is bliss. It keeps the ugly truths away from us. But this is no reason to abandon knowledge in favor of ignorance. In the early 1900s, two books were published and ultimately considered the pinnacle of classic literature. Both The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451 stand out as stunning works of literature. But their success isn't the only thing they share. Although they are very different in setting and genre, both books have the same theme. The theme is the universal message that the book attempts to inform readers about. Both Fitzgerald and Bradbury discuss the theme of the pursuit of knowledge versus the pleasure of ignorance in The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451. In The Great Gatsby, the theme is represented through symbolism. The book is about young Nick Carraway, a World War I veteran who came to New York to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in West Egg, Long Island, where he first hears of his eccentric neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is a war veteran who lives in a luxurious mansion to the right of Carraway. Gatsby regularly throws massive parties to which (it seems) all of New York and later Carraway are invited. “In its blue gardens, men and girls came and went like moths among the paper...of society and Montag. As Enrico Fermi rightly said: “There is no point in trying to prevent knowledge from advancing. Ignorance is never better than knowledge. Both F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ray Bradbury created exceptional works of literature that explore the human concept of knowledge. The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451 use symbolism in the form of lavish parties and fire to represent the ongoing battle between knowledge and ignorance. The theme creates complications and conflicts in both books. Even though society and our minds try to abandon our quest for knowledge for the sake of ignorance, knowledge always triumphs. This must be the case if we, as a society, are to move forward and continue to generate new ideas. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.