“It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end.” (68)

This quote was first written in 1726, in the historical-fiction book Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Gulliver’s Travels describe three detailed voyages in remote nations of the world. Swift was an Anglo-Irish priest who got his ideas out through satire. In Gulliver’s Travels, he uses this quote to explain the political struggle in Lilliput, an imaginary country who is at war with Blefuscu. When an emperor of Lilliput orders the people of Blefuscu to “break their eggs at the smaller end,” they do the opposite, and break their eggs at the bigger end as a sign of rebellion. The people of Lilliput who disobeyed the emperor were killed. This quote shows how strong an ideal can be in certain moments. The people of Lilliput would rather die than submit to the will of their foreign emperor.

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, this quote is referenced when Montag reads Gulliver’s Travels to Mildred. Montag is the main character, whose job is to burn books. At first Mildred doesn’t want him to read it, because she is afraid of what could happen if they got caught. When people are caught with books, they are often killed, and their house and books are set on fire. While talking about Beatty, Montag’s fireman captain, she says “He’ll come in, and burn us and the books!” Montag ignores her, and as he starts reading, Mildred becomes intrigued. Both Montag and his wife are surprised, and don’t understand this quote. Mildred says, “what does it mean? It doesn’t mean anything! The captain was right!” 

Mildred is shown as a part of a big conformist society. That’s why she reacts this way towards the book. Montag although a conventionalist, gets influenced by smarter people as well. After meeting Clarisse and talking to her, he starts thinking about what she says, and what it means. After Clarisse’s death, Montag meets Dr. Faber who explains to him why society is acting the way it is, and how important books are because they help you see life through someone else’s eyes. This is why Montag starts thinking about books more and more, until he finally reads one. 

When the book Fahrenheit 451 was written, times were uncertain. World War II had just ended, and the Cold War between the United States and Russia was starting. During World War II many books had been banned and destroyed by both the Nazis and the allied forces. Neither side wanted their followers to read any books that could have a negative effect on them. This quote is closely linked to the events happening near the time Fahrenheit 451 was written.  The firemen in the book are shown as the Nazi’s during WWII, and the book readers are shown as the minorities being persecuted during the holocaust. In the book Fahrenheit 451, the firemen are shown like the foreign emperor in Gulliver’s travels, and the people who read books are viewed as the people of Lilliput who refuse to “break their eggs at the smaller end” and are violating the law. It directly relates to the book’s context, because when Montag reads this quote to Mildred he is showing her how far people are willing to go when they believe in something, even if the rest of society completely disagrees.

This quote is one of the most important quotes in the book. Even though it is only a line long, it has very many meanings, and a lot of room for different interpretations. This quote was put in the book because so many events relate to it, such as the Nazi regime. The most important reason this quote is used, is to help Montag realize how bad his society really is, and the conformism within it.