STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR FAHRENHEIT 451 As you read each section of the novel, answer briefly the following questions. Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 1–65)
1.What do the "firemen" do for a living?
In our world, firemen fight fires. In "Fahrenheit 451, "the firemen burns books. They do this to fight ideas and to keep their society safe from disruptive influences.
2.What is never washed off completely?
In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag says that "you never wash it off completely," referring to the kerosene. (Page 4)
3.According to pages 1–2, what does Montag think of his job? Montag loves his job! The first words of the chapter say that it was a "pleasure to burn." He loved to see things "eaten" and to see...show more content...
10. How is life in Montag 's house very different from that of Clarisse 's house? 11. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night 's experience?
12. What does Mildred do all day?
13. Describe the setup of Montag 's TV room.
14. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 19?
15. How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
16. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
17. What is the hound 's reaction to Montag?
18. Why does society consider Clarisse "anti–social" (page 26–27)? 19. What are the five rules for firemen?
20. At the fire, how does the old woman choose to end her life? 21. Why do the firemen do their job at night? (page 36)
22. What is the significance of "Mister Ridley" and what do we learn about Beatty in this exchange? (page 37–38)
23. What does Montag take and where does he stash it? 24. What technology does Mildred use to go to sleep? 25. Who is Mildred 's "family"? (page 41–43)
26. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen? 27. What is unusual about the way Mildred told Montag about Clarisse? 28. What does
Mildred look like according to Montag? (page 45–46)
29. What does Beatty say happened to books and learning that led to the present censorship and book–burning? (page 51–52)
30. Why is Montag so upset with Mildred while Beatty is speaking?
31. What does Beatty say are the three things that led to the current state of the world? (page 55)
32. Beatty says that
Fahrenheit 451 Part 2: The Sieve and the Sand Ilana Oleynik
11. Montag's society programs thoughts so completely that "firemen are rarely necessary". The firemen are used for burning books, to make sure that no one in the society reads or owns them. The firemen aren't really necessary because the society already doesn't read books or seem to care about them. They are in the world of technology and don't want to gain knowledge or have anything to do with learning new information or facing the real world. Montag's society programs their thoughts to have fun and be care–free. Books are something they already naturally don't want to read or think about. This is why the firemen aren't really necessary.
12. The society's wall–to–wall...show more content...
Truth is elusive, and the metaphor suggests, impossible to grasp in any permanent way.
15. Faber is critical of himself because he feels guilty for having said nothing when this society began to change. He felt that there was a time when he had an opportunity to stops things from happening, from books being destroyed because he was a great mind, but he said nothing for the very reason the society changed– not to upset anyone or the balance of things. He is very pessimistic about the world. He is very against how the society lives and how programmed everyone is. No one cares about learning information anymore and living in the real world. Everyone is hypnotized by technology. He is angered that the people can't realize what they are missing in their lives. Montag is only willing to become Montag's mentor because Montag coerces him. Montag shows him a copy of the Bible and offers it to him. Then he starts to tear pages out of it if Faber will not agree to help him. I also think Montag wants to help Montag all along because he sees this as his chance to reclaim justice of these books and take revenge on the government. Faber sees that Montag is very similar to him in the way that they both want to read books and learn the real meanings of life, and stand up for the use of books.
16. The three things necessary for books to be of value: people need quality information, the leisure to digest it, and the freedom to act on what they learn. He defines quality information
In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, we can see a lot of things wrong with the society, things that most people think could happen to us, but is it really that unrealistic? Ray Bradbury didn't think so when he wrote it because he was writing about his own time period, shortly after WWII, but the themes he wrote about are still present today. In the novelFahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury criticizes illusion of happiness, oppression, and loss of self, not only his fictitious society, but our society in real life, too. One of the themes he criticizes is illusion of happiness. An example of this is on page 4, where it says "... the fiery still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away, that smile, it never ever went away, as long...show more content... They throw the books down the stairs, pile them up, and pour kerosene everywhere. Not only were they willing to burn the books, but the woman as well, and the government doesn't care because they set the rules, and they think the ends justify the means. The means being burning everyone and everything, and the ends being that there are no books left, so they think it's okay to have unjust control. Another example is on page 117, they make Montag burn his own house down and then tell him he's under arrest. All of that just for owning some books? That's ridiculous, cruel, and overly controlling. Page 33, another example, Montag asks Beatty "I–I've been thinking. About the fire last week. About the man whose library we fixed. What happened to him?" Beatty then says "They took him screaming off to the asylum," this really is a good example of oppression, a man owned books, so they sent him to the mental ward of a hospital, and sometimes they send them to jail. It shows how the government has cruel treatment just because they are in control, and that's how some things are today. At school, for a small scale example, we aren't allowed to use our phones between classes, it wouldn't hurt anything if we were allowed to, it wouldn't make it easier to cheat, or break any other rules, yet we aren't allowed to do it just because they say so, and the government, which has way more power, can, and does, do things just like this except on a much larger scale. Finally he
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Essay– Fahrenheit 451
Topic Sentence: Everyone undergoes change in their life, whether it is beneficial or not.
Expand: Some can be life changing, while others can be life threatening.
Literary Information: In Ray Bradbury's science fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451,
Lead into Thesis: Montag, the protagonist, lives in a world that dramatically changes him on a daily basis. It makes him realize how society has changed.
Thesis Statement: As the protagonist, Montag undergoes many changes throughout the book due to several characters that function as catalysts in his life.
Supporting Points: In Fahrenheit 451, Montag's change is mainly related to 1) book burning #3 2) manipulative parlor families #1 3) and a strange ...show more content...
A script is technically a book but nobody has realized that yet. This changes Montag's perspective on Mildred's life, and how she has been living for a long while now. He feel's as though it is unfair for the people who loved to read books.
Lead: Another example of how Mildred had changed Montag's life due to the parlor families is when Clarisse passed away. Proof: "I'm not sure. But I think she's dead. The family moved out anyway. I don't know but I think she is dead." (Bradbury 47) Comment: This made Montag realize how separated Mildred is from the outside world. She is so caught up in her shows all day, everyday, that she has no idea what is really happening in reality.
Link to Thesis: These characters functioned as catalysts to Montag throughout the book. Whether it was just a simple sentence to change the thought, or a something major that is life changing.
Closing: Overall, parlor families take up a major role in Fahrenheit 451. They are a major part of Montag's life and how he has changed.
Body Paragraph #2
Topic Sentence: It's not everyday that people come across someone who may have changed their life forever.
Expand: However, Montag encountered somebody just like that.
Supporting Point #1: Montag met a strange girl named Clarisse while walking home one night. After brief conversation, Montag realized how
Bethany Edwards Censorship or Knowledge
Ray Bradbury's novel, Fahrenheit 451 is a good example of censorship and restriction and the results of what can happen because of this. Ray Bradbury predicts in his novel that the future is without literature everything from newspapers to novels to the Bible. This novel is about a world that is so structured and censored that even a common fireman exist not to fight fires, for all buildings are fireproof, but instead to burn books. Books are made to be thought of as evil and anyone caught with books hidden in their home is forced out of it while the firemen force their way in and turn the house into an inferno. Fahrenheit 451 is a horrific account of what could happen in an all too close...show more content...
I dared speak to no one. That day in the park when we sat together, I knew that someday you might drop by, with fire or friendship, it was hard to guess..." (Bradbury 90). Faber manipulates Montag via his two–way radio to accomplish the things his cowardice has prevented him from doing himself. During a conversation between Montag and Faber, Montag states, "That 's the good part of dying; when you 've nothing to lose, you run any risk you want" (Bradbury 85). Montag's relationship with Faber gave him the courage and desire to open his mind and question that maybe what he has always just accepted was wrong.
Montag's boss, Captain Beatty is probably the key character that pushes Montag to change. Beatty is obviously intelligent, well–versed in literature, but also completely devoted to the act of book–burning and the structure that supports it. His intimate knowledge of literature indicates that he was once a free–thinking, intelligent, skeptical man of the sort that Montag is developing into. Beatty was apparently unwilling or unable to deal with the confusion and potentially painful thought that came with the conflicting ideas offered by books. In response to this frustration, he turned towards destroying the object of his mental conflict instead of facing its implications. Beatty senses that Montag is beginning to rebel and he hassles him at every opportunity. He uses his knowledge of books to try and confuse Montag. Beatty tells Montag,
Fahrenheit 451 Synthesis Essay In the book Fahrenheit 451, author Ray Bradbury describes a futuristic society in which it is normal for an average individual to shun and absolutely loathe books. The main character, Guy Montag, works as a fireman, and his job description consists of burning books instead of preventing fires. Television is a major topic in this book, and for the most part, is portrayed as an extremely obsessive and deleterious item. Today, in American society however, television is a much more positive thing, and has a lot to contribute to a healthy, connected, and well informed society. In American society, television can save lives instead of destroying them. Tim Leberecht, a well–reputed blogger and columnist,...show more content...
"Televised events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics and the World Cup give us a rare opportunity to share a moment in time with the world," proclaims Tim Leberecht of www.designmind.com (Leberecht). With our busy lives, we almost never take out time to spend with our loved ones, and these televised events are when the majority of people meet up and have fun. "Millie? Does the White Clown love you? Does your 'family' love you, love you with all their heart and soul, Millie?" Montag asks Mildred (Bradbury 77). Guy Montag is questioning his wife out of desperation, and is extremely curious to know if she believes that her fake TV family really loves her. From this we can see that he is truly disappointed with life and his wife's immoral addiction to television. We must keep in mind that our society today is not as dumbed down and obsessed with fake parlor shows that spread real, tangible people apart as Mildred is. TV today is a source of knowledge and learning, and creates the perfect circumstances and settings for the getting together of the people that really matter the most. One of the most important aspects of television is its ability to strengthen democracy and teach the law. "Seventy–two percent (of the US population) learn about elections and candidates from TV news," states www.designmind.com (Leberecht). TV brings us information that is essential to maintaining our freedom and our guaranteed Get more content