Fahrenheit 451

Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?

When Montag says this quote, this means that he will always have a job and be recognized as the fireman or book burner. He will always have to deal with the fact that he burned all of those books whether it is good or bad.

The novel begins, "It was a pleasure to burn." Why does Bradbury start the novel this way

Why might it be more pleasurable to burn books rather than read them? Bradbury starts the novel with this sentence bacuse it draws the reader into the novel. Readers are not expecting the novel to talk about burning books so the reader keeps reading to find out why. It might be more pleasurable for Guy Montag to burn books because he sees no value in them. He does not realize the information and wisdom books have. To him they just take up space and it is his job to destroy them. A lot of times people favor destruction because it lets out their anger.

pratfall (noun)

a comic or humiliating fall onto the rear end

melancholy (noun)

a depressed or gloomy state of mind

manikin (noun)

a dummy used to display clothes

cataract

a furious rush or downpour of water; a torrent

metropolis (noun)

a large, busy city

juggernaut (noun)

a large, destructive object that crushes everything in its path

pedant (noun)

a person who makes an excessive display of learning

mausoleum (noun)

a stately tomb or a burial place

odious (adj)

hateful; offensive

Now that you have completed the first section of the novel, predict what you think will happen to the characters. What foreshadowing led you to this conclusion

he first section of the novel was full of unexpected surprises because of this I expect that the second half will be very similar. I think Montag will go back to his job just so he can steal more books. I also predict that he will start to show them to other people. The reason I think this will happen is because Montag said during the section that he wants to keep the unhappy feeling so eh can do something big with them. Another character that I think will change is Mildred. I was surprised by the way she created to the book I though she would be more scared and frightened by the thought. When she first found the book, the narrator described it as a pleasant surprise that she wanted to uncover more of. I think the books will help Mildred with her problems and she will become a stronger person.

insidious (adj)

intended to entrap or mislead

intuitively (adj)

known by intuition or insight

GRANGER

leader of the book society that Montag joins Flat, Very cynical, Welcoming, Reader FOILS- Faber-

verbiage (noun)

overabundance of words

serenity (noun)

peacefulness

venomous (adj)

poisonous

oracle (noun)

someone who can look into the future

quarry (noun)

something hunted

ricochet (verb)

to bounce off something from the force of impact

subside (verb)

to lessen; to decrease

incriminate (verb)

to name others as involved in a crime

feign (verb)

to put on the appearance of; to pretend

pulverize (verb)

to reduce to dust or powder; demolish completely

gibber (verb)

to talk in a confused, meaningless way

imperceptible (adj)

very slight or gradual; barely noticeable

What does Montag think of his job?

At the beginning Montag loves his job because he feels like he is protecting the community from the books. He constantly remembers the "fiery smile" and that make him happy.

In the opening scene, why are books compared to birds?

In the opening scene, books are compared to birds because one cannot contain the information or what the author rights in a book. One the books are burned they drift away like bird does. When a book is tossed, it opens up like a bird.

Role of Science and Technology

Life revolved around technology -So much tech- TV, Seashells -Warning us that tech is a good thing if used correctly- have to be careful that it is does not take over free will and thought -Pg 16, 108

The Hound

Technology can help and hurt people. People creating it to help but can also turn on them and attack them too

How did the women choose the next president, and how does Montag react

The women choose the next president, President Noble, by his physical characteristic. They have no idea about what he stood or what the other candidate, Hubert Hoag stood for either. Montag reacts by yelling at them about how much they actually know. This prompts him to bring a book out and expose them to real life.

What does Montag realize about his relationship with Mildred? How do you know this?

They are strangers that are living together. They do not have anything in common. He questions how they met and neither one can remember how they met. If Mildred were to die he would not cry. Dandelion test was true

5. What is the significance of the following quote, "You heave them into the 'parlor' and turn the switch. It's like washing clothes: stuff the laundry in and slam the lid."

This preceding quote is significant because Mrs. Bowles is comparing her children to laundry. This shows that Mrs. Bowles finds her children more of a nuisance than a pleasure. She thinks of them as a chore that she can quickly do and then be over with.

Describe the help that Mildred receives.

After Mildred overdoses she receives, help from two machines and two machine operators (handymen). The first machine pumped her stomach out to get rid of all the pills she took. The second machine gave her fresh blood to get the pills out of her bloodstream.

How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?

After Mildred wakes up from her previous night's experience she is incredibly hungry and hungover. She is listening to her "sea shells" and talking to Guy about why she is so hungry. Guy tells her about her experience last night and she brushes it off by saying that she must have kept taking sleeping pills on accident.

Why did Montag say he became a fireman

Because his father and grandfather were both firefighters

Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?

Bradbury introduced Clarisse before Montag' wife, Mildred because it shows Clarisse is more important to the plot. She plays a more unique role and Bradbury want the reader to see this. Clarisse also serves as a comparison to Mildred and it showcases both of their characteristics. (foil)

Mass Media

Caked in media -Watch mindless TV shows -Media= brainwashed -Everything they know is from the media -Unable to differentiate from what is real and what is fake -Mass media= distraction -Pg 16, Pg 131-132

Distraction vs. Happiness

Character tried to distract themselves so they don't have to think about anything else -Pg 108 quote -Society is very distracted -No questioning -Don't want to think about happiness -They need to question or be uncomfortable in order to truly be happy

Knowledge vs. Ignorance

Clarisse and Montag think about knowledge- they get in trouble -Knowledge lead to trouble and unhappiness -Mildred= ignorance -Ignorance is easy in their society -Ignorance good, Knowledge bad -Pg 56, 79

Alienation

Everyone in the society was the same, ppl don't fit in (Clarisse, Faber, Granger, Montag) -Contrast between the different characters -Ppl are alienating themselves from each other- they don't talk b/c they have technology -Pg 26-27

What do Montag and Faber do to prevent Montag from turning back into a "drone"

Faber gives Montag a seashell that allows them to communicate back and forth. Faber continually reminds Montag of the purpose and tells him that even though he might feel like he is not doing his own thinking he actually is. Faber also reads Montag, The Book of Job, to remind him of the goal.

What happens when Montag goes back to the fire station

He brings a book back to the fire station. Beatty tires to confuse Montag. They then get called off for a job at Montag's house.

Why does he mention opening the window because the hound is outside

He is scared that people are out to get to get him because he took the book. Paranoid thinks it is outside waiting for him. He wants to commit suicide

Describe what happens when Montag comes home the night of the fire

He realizes that the world is antisocial and weird. Realizes the meaning of the books.Regretting his job choice because he realizes that the books were all written by men that put a lot of work into it. He is paranoid about the book

The Hearth and the Salamander

Hearth: a fireplace in the middle of a home; used to warm. Salamander: wore on the firemens' uniforms- can live in fire without being consumed by it

What did Montag do that really annoyed Mildred and her friends

How do the women react?Montag annoys Mildred's friends by turning off the TV, while they are watching it. This causes the women to become irritated at Montag. While the TV is off Montag also asks questions about the war and other things in their life, but all they want to do is to continue to watch their program.

The Phoenix

Humans ability to learn from their mistakes. Rises from ashes and is able to rebuild. Avoid destroying itself in the future. Phoenix unable to learn from their mistakes

What does Montag mean when he says, "we all really need to be bothered once and a while

In order to have feelings one needs to be bother. Needs to have a break in routine

How does Mildred react to Montag's illness

Mildred is surprised and does not know how to take care of him. Wants him to go to work so she can get a new TV

Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?

Mildred needs help when Montag gets home because she took all of the sleeping pills in the bottle that she had. This causes her to overdose and Montag has to call the Emergency hospital. (she kept taking 2 pills because she forgot she had taken them)

What does Mildred do all day?

Mildred watches the TV all day and interacts with the character with her own script. She rehearses and participates in the action of the TV. - she waits for the actress to pause so that she can say her lines- she has sea shells (earbuds) in her ears

Describe Montag's physical and mental reaction to the fire

Montag physical: sweating and feels sick, burned or hurt his hands. Montag mental: he is scared and sees the importance of the books, regretful, curiosity grows

The Sieve and the Sand

Montag tries to remember the books he reads but the more he reads the more he forgets. On train keeps reading but the dentrifice song is distracting. As a kid Montag tried to hold sand in a sieve- not working. Sand= knowledge. Sieve= mind trying to retain it

Describe the setup of Montag's TV room.

Montag's TV room has three walls of TVs and Mildred wants another wall to complete the set. - TV costs $2000

How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?

Montag's house is very different from Clarisse's house. Montag's house is dark and quiet, where as Clarisse's house is full laughter and light. Montag's house is dependent on entertainment for happiness, where as Clarisse's house talk and enjoy each other's company. - her uncle lives with her, people talk to each other unlike the other houses

Action vs. Inaction

Montag= action- hard to contain -Faber= inaction- lead society to what it is -Pg 78- inaction lead/ built society -Pg 141-142- chasing Montag -Connects to WWII- Germany - should act if ones gov't is doing the wrong thing

What is so weird about Mrs. Phelps

Mrs. Phelps is a very strange woman. Even though her husband is away at war she could careless about him. She has no worries in the world and is an independent woman who does not need to cry if her third husband dies. She also has no interest in having children. She finds them ruinous and annoying to her daily life.

What is ironic about what Mrs. Phelps says at the top of page 65

Mrs. Phelps says that they might as well let Montag tell them a poem so he will leave them alone. This ironic because before this she states that it might be interesting for him to tell them poem, when all she really wants to do is watch TV. Seems like a typical person in the community. After reading the poem she starts hysterically crying

Censorship and the Power of Books

See censorship folder

Conformity vs. Individuality

The foil between Mildred and Clarisse represents conformity vs. individuality. Doing what society tells you to do and never questions vs. doing what makes you happy and what you want to do. Conformity is doing what other people do to fit in where as individuality one does not care about what other people think -Mildred= conformity -Clarisse= Individuality- punished in their society Pg 27 "Or go out in the cars and race on the streets, trying to see how close you can get to lampposts, playing 'chicken' and 'knock hubcaps'. I guess I'm everything they say I am, all right. I haven't any friends. That's supposed to prove I'm abnormal. But everyone I know is either shouting or dancing around like wild or beating up one another, Do you notice how people hurt each other nowadays?" Pg. 94 "Did you hear them, did you hear those monsters talking about monsters? Oh God, the way they jabber about people and their own children and themselves and the way they talk about their husbands and the way they talk about war, dammit, I stand here and I can't believe it."

What is significant about the poem that Montag reads to the ladies

The poem that Montag reads connects to what he is trying to explain to the women. The poem has a direct correlation to what is happening in the book. The poem discusses the reality of life and happiness. The poem describes happiness as ignorance and that in order to be happy one has to be naïve to the world around them. This is exactly what is happening in the world that Montag lives in. Most people are ignorant and happy even though a war is going on.

Fire

The symbol of fire connects to censorship. Burning books is the way the society deals with unruly subjects. Fire also means death. Many times throughout the book, fire is used to kill people. An example of this would be when the woman kills herself by lighting a match and dying with her books. In the society, they also use fire in their crematorium to dispose of dead bodies. As Beatty describes it is clean and natural. Destruction of books and death (Beatty is killed and city) Represents a new start- Montag burning down house is a start of a new life (lighting the way)

Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?

The two men hang around and joke, smoking cigarettes, while the machine are fixing Mildred. They talk to Guy montage about why they are performing the operation, but instead of being serious they joke. The machine operators are also not medical professionals trained to perform the operation; they are handymen. Guy finds this very strange and questions their abilities. (casual, 9 or 10 cases of overdoses a night)- everyone is subconsciously unhappy

Montag overhears a discussion in Clarisse's house, during which the uncle states, "Well, after all, this is the age of the disposable tissue. Blow your nose on a person, wad them, flush them away, reach for another, blow, wad, flush. Everyone using everyone else's coattails. How are you supposed to root for the home team when you don't even have a program or know the names? For that matter, what color jerseys are they wearing as they trot out on the field?" How is this quote proved through what you have read about their society so far? Is this relevant to our society?

This quote is proved throughout what we have read in the book so far. In the pages that we have read Montag does no know anyone. He does not have any connections in the community around him. The only reason he knows Clarisse is because she is very outgoing. She pressures Montag to talk and observe the world around him. This quote is also demonstrated when Clarisse talks about her friends. Many of Clarisse friends have died in car crashes, but no one notices or cares because it happens so often. Without books people cannot form their own opinions or ideals about the world. They are forced to follow and obey the laws that are put before because they do not know any better. This can be seen when Montag asks about the job of firemen. None of the other firemen really know what their job used to be so they follow what the book says. Everyone in this society in the book is oblivious to the people and things around them. In some ways I do believe this is relevant to our society. Many ties we struggle to see the world beyond the computer or phone screen. Instead of actually experiencing the events around us we observe other people through the TV doing activities that we want to do.

scythe (noun)

a tool with a large, curving blade used to cut (hay, wheat) by hand

profusion (noun)

abundance; great quantity or amount

luminosity (noun)

brightness

fragmentary (adj)

consisting of fragments; broken; incomplete

Mildred

is Montag's wife, she is very stereotypical, she spends her time watching TV and listening to her seashell

CLARISSE MCCLELLAN

is a teenage girl who moves into the house next to Montag. Clarisse is a unique character. She constantly asks question about the world and about people.

CAPTAIN BEATTY

is the chief firefighter, he has a great vocabulary of quotes, but he finds book a nuisance. His goal is to get rid of books b/c he thinks they cause more problems than they are actually worth. Confusing, Persuasive, Reasonable, intimidating, and aware. FOILS Montag (end) and Faber, Antagonist

FABER

is the old man that Montag met in the park, he is an old English professor. He is afraid to take action against the society- round, smart, curious, and intellectual. FOILS Mildred

GUY MONTAG

is the protagonist of the story, he a dynamic character who starts of the book as a stereotypical firefighter. He then realizes the importance of books and instead of trying to destroy them he tries to save them

MRS. PHELPS

is the woman who could care less if her husband was to die during the war. She is the woman who starts crying after Montag reads "Dover beach"

MRS. BOWLES

is the woman who hates her kids and treats them like they are chores. She is the one who gets angry w/ Montag