Fahrenheit 451 Test

What is a Foil and example?

A character who provides a striking contrast to another character; used to bring out certain traits in the character Examples: Mildred and Charisse, Beatty and Montag, Beatty and Faber, Charisse and Montag

What is a Doppelganger and example?

A double or counterpart of a person; the people usually look very much alike Example: Montag and Beatty

What does technology symbolize?

Figuratively: Brainwashing from government, takeover, distraction, a way to control people's behaviors, thoughts, and interactions

What does the water symbolize?

Figuratively: Cleansing, releasing him as who he once was

What does the Sand and the Sieve symbolize?

Figuratively: Dedication, good things always fall through, memorized words sift away

What does the fire symbolize?

Figuratively: Destruction, comfort, community, used to create

What does blood symbolize?

Figuratively: Disposability of people, cleansing, determination, pain, emotional pain, sense of renewal

What does the Front Porch symbolize?

Figuratively: Family, togetherness, being aware of the real world, neighbors

What does the Green Bullet symbolize?

Figuratively: Represents Faber's cowardice, guidance, community

What do the books symbolize?

Figuratively: Represents fear of the unknown- thoughts

What do the seashells symbolize?

Figuratively: Represents obsession and dependency with the parlor family and technology in general

What does the Mechanical Hound symbolize?

Figuratively: Represents the police of the society, evil, maintains society, controls with fear, fear of change

What does the Hearth symbolize?

Figuratively: Safe place can become an unsafe place quickly, eminent danger

What do the mirrors symbolize?

Figuratively: Self understanding, people mirror each other in the society because they don't know how to be their own person, hoboes wanted mirrors so they could really see themselves, not physical appearance, but inside their soul

What does nature symbolize?

Figuratively: Sense of freedom, escape from society

What does the parlor family symbolize?

Figuratively: Shows obsession with technology and not with real things or people, no real human connections

What does the Phoenix symbolize?

Figuratively: rebuilding society, rebirth, destroyed, must rise through the ashes

Find a "job description" for the firemen in the Fahrenheit society.

Fireman go through people's homes and steal their books so they can burn them.

What is so different about the fire Montag sees at the end of the tracks?

It is used for a different purpose. They used fires to burn things, while this fire was used for warmth.

When Montag and Mildred are reading, what did Montag say was special about Clarisse?

Montag said that Clarisse's favorite subject wasn't herself, it was everyone else. He said she was the first good person he has met that he really liked.

What does Montag think he sees in the forest during his escape? What was it really?

Montag thinks he sees the mechanical hound while he is escaping in the forest. But really, it's just a deer.

In whose home does Montag plant books?

Black's

State the firemen's slogan and explain its meaning.

"Monday's burn millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner we burn em to ashes, then burn the ashes." This means that the books are permanently gone, and there is no way of getting them back and there is no way to own books in the society.

According to Beatty, what factors contributed to firemen adopting the role of book burners?

-People in various special interest groups found books increasingly offensive -The demand for simple, easy-to-read material made books obsolete -Television, photography, and film made reading less popular

Where does Montag hide his last remaining books?

In the house of a fellow fireman

What is a Catalyst and example?

A person or thing that precipitates an event or change; a cause of change Example: Charisse or the woman who burned herself

Who is Faber?

A retired English professor whom Montag encountered a year before the book opens. Faber still possesses a few precious books and aches to have more. He readily admits that the current state of society is due to the cowardice of people like himself, who would not speak out against book burning when they still could have stopped it. He berates himself for being a coward, but he shows himself capable of acts that require great courage and place him in considerable danger

Who is Clarisse?

A teenager who is very intelligent and makes Montag start to realize his life

Who is Montag?

A third-generation fireman who suddenly realizes the emptiness of his life and starts to search for meaning in the books he is supposed to be burning

Discuss who all of these men were before they became hoboes and why they chose this way of life.

All of the men before they became hoboes used to be teachers and professors and they chose this way of life because they didn't want to lose having books.

What is a Polemic and example?

An aggressive controversialist; one who fights or disputes against another Examples: Beatty, Faber, Granger

What is a Synecdoche and example?

An example of figurative language where a part of something represents the whole thing Example: "'My cowardice is of such a passion, complementing the revolutionary spirit that lives in the shadow...'" (Bradbury 90). His cowardice is just one part of his whole spirit that lives in the shadow. His cowardice is responsible and represents the shadow.

Who is the "little idiot" to whom Beatty refers? Explain what he means by this?

Beatty refers to Clarisse as the little idiot. He does this because he said that she didn't face reality, or go with the society rules.

Who is Beatty?

Captain of the fire department, very passionate

What is the theme of Fahrenheit 451?

Censorship, knowledge versus ignorance, equalize the population and promote sameness, conformity, Bradbury also explained that the book is about how TV and other forms of technology drives away interest in reading. Society believes individual thinking is bad for you. Conformity is easy. Those who don't follow the rules become shunned. A rule breaker should be outcasted (Clarisse, Faber, Montag). Mildred is able to stay in the society because she follows the rules. -State specific theme in your thesis

List characteristics of the educational system found in the Fahrenheit society.

Clarisse said that school is easy and that the teachers give you the answers to each problem. No one asks questions to further their learning. Her school is the repetition of history, art, sports, and TV classes. The students are fed the answers, which does not encourage debate. School is boring and simple, and discourages students to socialize.

According to Clarisse, who thinks she should go to a psychiatrist? Why does she say they think this?

Clarisse says that Montag, her dad, and her school tell her to go to a psychiatrist. He tells her this because she isn't that social.

What is the setting of Fahrenheit 451?

Dystopian society in the future

Why is each man important at the camp?

Each man is important at the camp because each man has memorized one whole book.

Describe the two-part plan Montag and Faber devise.

Faber and Montag are going to plant books in the fireman's houses and turn in an alarm and then watch the fireman's houses burn until everyone is gone.

Discuss the device Faber gave Montag and why he gave it to him.

Faber gave Montag a small phone that is like headphones so then Faber can talk to Montag while he's talking to Beatty.

Who does Faber tell Montag to try to find? Why?

Faber tells Montag to get out of sight. He tells him to go to the railroad tracks and go to the homeless shelter.

Explain why Faber says this is such an important time for Montag to change and to stand up for his beliefs.

Faber thinks that if Montag stands up for what he believes in he could be able to show people that books are good and useful and necessary.

Describe the attitude toward books in the Farenheit society and discuss why the people feel this way.

In the Fahrenheit society, books are illegal to own. Firefighters go in people's homes and burn their books. Everyone really dislikes books. This creates conflict.

Where did Montag make his last call as a fireman?

Montag made his last call as a fireman at his own house.

What is the fire literally?

Literally: Beginning- used for destruction, end- it's used for warmth

What are the books literally?

Literally: Books

What is the Front Porch literally?

Literally: Charisse tells Montag about porches. She says that her uncle told her that the architects got rid of porches because they didn't look good. But, the real reason was that they didn't want people sitting like that, really, they didn't want people talking. That was the wrong kind of social life.

What are the mirrors literally?

Literally: Granger says they must build a mirror factory to take a long look at themselves; this remark recalls Montag's description of Charisse as a mirror in "The Hearth and the Salamander."

What is blood literally?

Literally: Montag's revolutionary thoughts are most often accompanied by the increased flow of blood, when Mildred overdoses, they replace her blood

What is nature literally?

Literally: Outdoors

What is Sand and Sieve literally?

Literally: Refers literally to a passage in that section where Montag has a memory from his childhood. He remembers "trying to fill a sieve with sand," because a cousin had said that he'd give Montag a dime if he could do it.

What are seashells literally?

Literally: Small radios that fit into the ears like hearing aids or ear buds. Mildred wears two of them; none of that painful reality stuff for her

What is a Hearth literally?

Literally: The Hearth and the Salamander- The hearth, or *fireplace*, is a traditional symbol of the home; the salamander is one of the official symbols of the firemen, as well as the name they give to their fire trucks

What is the Mechanical Hound literally?

Literally: The mechanical hound is a dog-shaped robot with eight legs. It is made of metal. It's purpose is to hunt down and kill fugitives, who have violated the law of the society

What is the Parlor "family" literally?

Literally: The parlor walls are a form of entertainment that most people have inside their homes. Specifically, they are television screens which cover the surface of an entire wall

What is the water literally?

Literally: Water used for putting out fire

What is the Phoenix literally?

Literally: after the city is reduced to ashes by bombers, Granger makes a direct comparison between human beings and the story of the phoenix The story of the Phoenix: a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again

What is the Green Bullet literally?

Literally: is an ear piece that allows Faber to communicate directly with Montag as he deals with Beatty, without Faber actually being there

What is technology literally?

Literally: the 'Seashell' and the television

What is Mildred's reaction to the old woman's death? Why do you think she feels this way?

Mildred didn't seem to care, she replied with, "What about it?" and "Well?" when asked if she was concerned with Montag's burning of the women. I think she feels this way because she is so used to this society and the way they burn books all the time. She feels no emotion.

What did Mildred hate about the books? What does this show about the society?

Mildred said that books aren't people and that when he looks, she's looks around and no one is there. She says that her family, which is just the characters on her TV are people. She says they're real because they laugh, she laughs, and they tell her things. This shows that the society is very lazy and doesn't care about real learning, they want to be entertained and have facts given to them, without having to work for it.

What did Mildred tell Montag about Clarisse and her family?

Mildred tells Montag that Clarisse's whole family moved out 4 days ago and that they are gone. She said Clarisse got run over by a car and that she is dead.

Who turns in the alarm on Montag? Why?

Mildred turns the alarm on Montag because she was sick and tired of living the way that Montag wanted to.

When Montag is escaping, how does he almost get killed?

Montag almost gets hit by a car. The children are speeding very fast and he thinks that these children also could have killed Clarisse with their car.

Discuss the type of relationship Montag and Mildred have at this point in the novel.

Montag and Mildred's relationship is dull. Montag seems to be unaware that he doesn't care about Mildred too much. But, once he meets Clarisse, he starts to realize that she is petty and lazy. This isn't what you would expect from a married couple.

At the end of the novel, explain where Montag and the hoboes are going and what their plans are for the future.

Montag and his new friends are going to the city. Montag leads the group. They introduce books to the people.

How does Montag kill the Mechanical Hound?

Montag burns the Mechanical Hound with the flamethrower.

What does Montag do to Beatty? Why? Did Beatty want/wish for this? Explain.

Montag kills Beatty by burning him with the flamethrower. Beatty wanted to die. Beatty didn't stop him, he was just making Montag more and more annoyed, so Montag burned him.

What happens to Montag to slow him down?

Montag gets slowed down because the mechanical hound injects procaine.

Explain why Montag gets so upset on the subway.

Montag gets upset with himself and he becomes stressed out on the subway because the tooth jingle won't stop laughing in his head when he tries to remember the bibles verses.

After Beatty leaves, Montag feels compelled to tell Mildred about a secret activity he has been involved in for about a year. Discuss what Montag has been doing and how and why Mildred reacts to the news.

Montag has been collecting books and reading them. He has 20 books. Mildred immediately picks up the books and tries to burn them, but Montag slaps her.

When Montag is in the gas station washroom, what news does he hear? What is his reaction? Why?

Montag hears on the radio that they have declared war. Montag is very lost, and almost gets hit by a car after this news. Montag realizes people are watching him. He was scared because he isn't used to being in the center of attention.

What does Montag do with the books he has with him when he begins his escape? Why?

Montag hides the books in the other fireman's' houses and he calls in an alarm so it makes them look suspicious.

Who is Faber? Why does Montag think of him now after almost a year?

Montag is thinking he needs help. He wants to find a teacher. He closes his eyes and remembers the time in the park when he saw Faber running, aggressively throwing something in his coat. Faber is an old english professor.

What does Montag do to the other firemen?

Montag was violent, he punched them until they fell to the ground. He beats them.

Who is Montag's wife and what has she done that upsets Montag?

Montag's wife is named Mildred. She overdoses on sleeping pills and only survives because Montag calls 911 in time. She was very lucky. He questioned her about taking the pills, and she denies it.

Who is Mildred?

Montag's wife. She is obsessed with watching television and refuses to engage in frank conversation with her husband about their marriage or her feelings

Who is Mrs. Phelps?

One of Mildred's dull friends. She is emotionally disconnected from her life. She appeared uncertain when her 3rd husband was sent off to war. Then she breaks down crying when Montag reads the poem to the group she shows suppressed feelings

Who is Mrs. Bowles?

One of Mildred's friends. She does not seem to care about her own miserable life. That includes one husband killed in a accident, one divorce, one husband suicide, and 2 children that hate her. She is represented as a typical person in society

What does Clarisse mean when she says, "People don't talk about anything"?

She means that people don't have their own individuality anymore. They don't have their own opinions. No one says anything different from anyone else. Without books, people can't have deep, intimate conversations or thoughts.

Where do Montag and Faber agree to meet at some point in the future?

St. Louis

List the types of activities the Farenheit people pursued in their free time.

The Farenheit people watch TV in their parlors. Montag has noticed that people have been less friendly to each other lately.

Describe the Mechanical Hound—discuss physical characteristics, behavior, and how it kills its victims.

The Mechanical Hound uses technology to frighten people. It is a terrifying robot that has a wonderful sense of smell. It has green-blue neon light flickering in its suddenly activated eye-bulbs. It growls. It kills its victims by injecting deadly drugs with the silver steal needle.

What are the "charcoal ruins" to which Montag refers?

The charcoal ruins are the remains of the books that be burned.

What happens to the city because of the war?

The city gets bombed because of war. It gets blown to bits. We don't know who exactly dropped the bomb. Was there really a war?

What is the first thing the hoboes give Montag? Why?

The hoboes give Montag a fluid to drink- COFFEE so then the mechanical hound can't find him.

Who is Granger?

The leader of the "Book People," the group of hobo intellectuals Montag finds in the country. Granger is intelligent, patient, and confident in the strength of the human spirit. He is committed to preserving literature through the current Dark Age

What is the life mission of these men (the hobos)?

The life mission of these men is for everyone to be able to read so they can have knowledge.

Why did the Mechanical Hound turn away from Faber's house?

The mechanical hound turned away from Faber's house because it thought it smelt whiskey. They turned the sprinklers on. Faber burned the stuff.

Explain the meaning of these men saying they made the "right kind of mistake."

The men say they made the right kind of mistake by leaving town.

How are the police tracking Montag?

The police are tracking Montag with the mechanical hound.

What do the police ask all the people on Elm Street to do? Why?

The police ask everyone living on Elm Street to open their doors because they will be unable to escape everyone.

Explain why the police kill someone in the place of Montag.

The police didn't want the society to know that they didn't kill Montag, they didn't want to be humiliated, so they found another guy and killed him in place of Montag and told people that they killed Montag.

Where do the railroad tracks lead Montag?

The railroad tracks lead Montag to a fire with five guys all standing around it.

How are the people keeping track of the chase?

The rest of the people are keeping track of the chase in their palors watching on their TVs.

As Montag walks along the railroad tracks, what is "the single fact he can not prove"? Explain why he thinks about this at this moment in his life.

The single fact he cannot prove is his future. He is walking on the same tracks as Clarisse. This railroad leads to the people who ban books.

What comment does Faber make about the "majority" in society?

The society just wants pleasure and happiness and good things to happen so they ignore the truth.

What kind of people are they, and why are they leading this kind of life? (hobos)

They are people who might have been professors, teachers, historians, authors, etc, in the past who now live a nomadic lifestyle because the government has prosecuted people like them.

Who are Black and Stoneman?

Two firemen who work with Montag. They share the lean, shadowed look common to all firemen and go about their jobs unquestioningly

What is the time of year when the book first opens? What are the clues? Why do you think Bradbury selected this particular season?

When the book opens, it is fall/autumn. The clues are that the air is drier and cold. There are also leaves. "The autumn leaves blew over the moonlit pavement," (Bradbury 5). I think he selected this season because it fits the mood of the book. Autumn is not too cold, but not too hot. The leaves are drying, represents the society.