Sarah Utz loves to read. In high school, she and her best friend would read the same books at the same time so they could discuss them together. The summer before college they read “Fahrenheit 451,” which resonated with them so much that they decided to get matching tattoos.

“Fahrenheit 451” tells the fictional story of a future dystopian society in which owning books is illegal. Firemen burn any books they find. It touches upon themes of censorship and exemplifies the importance of learning and developing one’s own ideas by exposing oneself to a diverse plethora of beliefs. Utz decided she wanted to read the well-known novel after doing a report on its author, Ray Bradbury, for school.

“The themes really resonated with my personal beliefs,” Utz, a junior chemical engineering major at Syracuse University, said. “My friend and I are huge readers, and I think it’s so important to always read and try to accept lots of different ideas and cultures.”

Utz grew up in a small town that lacked diversity. Her parents, however, always taught her the importance of accepting others’ ideas and belief systems. For this reason, her love of reading and learning about different cultures and ideas came to fruition — the same theme of “Fahrenheit 451.”

She and her friend were both taken aback by how the themes of the novel resonated with them. One summer day after reading the book, they decided they each wanted to get “451” tattoos to remind them of the book and their strong bond.

Though they have been friends since they were 5 years old, their shared love for reading and their mini book club tradition brought their friendship to a whole new level.

“Our tradition definitely helps to facilitate deeper conversations,” Utz said. “We love talking about underlying themes in books that are relevant to our lives.”

Today, years later, the tattoo still reminds Utz of the tradition she shares with her friend.

“It reminds me of the things that I love and that make me happy — reading, my personal beliefs about learning and our strong friendship,” Utz said. “I get a really warm and happy feeling when I see it in the mirror.”

Published on April 3, 2017 at 8:08 pm

Contact Julie: jlmccu01@syr.edu