Fahrenheit 451

How does Montag feel about himself as he rides the fire truck with the other men to burn more books?

He is mad at himself because he lost control and he blew it at the house. In the fire truck on the way to burn more books, Montag ashamed and annoyed about his "silly damned reading of a book" to the women in the parlor. He feels that he should've just kept his rage to himself, and that is was senseless and insane to try and read to the women.

When Montag left Faber's house, which direction did he go?

He headed toward the river because he was going to use the river to cover his scent and hopefully escape Hound.

How long had Montag been hiding books

1 year

How many books did Montag pull form the ceiling after Beatty left

20

How long did it take Bradbury to write Fahrenheit 451

9 days

According to Beatty, what happened to books and magazines in the twentieth century? What forces contributed to this change?

According to Beatty, books kept getting cut down to be shorter and shorter. Author's couldn't write something without offending a certain group. Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure contributed to this change.

What was different about the hobos Montag met? Why did each man identify himself as a famous author or piece of literature?

All of the "hobos" are educated men who had to run from the government.Each man identifies himself as a famous author because he has memorized that book so hopefully, one day, he will able to write it down for the public or pass it down to his children so it is never lost.

What is Beatty referring to when he says to Montag, "Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now he's burnt his damn wings, he wonders why."

Beatty is referring to Icarus from Greek mythology who, using wings made of feathers and wax, ignored his father's warnings to not to fly too close to the sun. He did so, the wax melted and he fell into the sea. Montag decided to play with fire by keeping and reading books and now he's getting burned (both literally and figuratively).

Why didn't Beatty stop Montag from killing him?

Beatty may have realized that the world as he knew it was fixing to change. Since he would not be able to handle the change, he decided it would be better to die. Also, Beatty was not happy with his life. Some critics consider his death a suicide; some consider it a murder.

Describe Clarisse McClellan.How does she look and act? How is her face like a candle in the light it gives off? Give specific details.

Clarisse McClellan is a girl who is seventeen and crazy. Her face is slender and milk-white, her eyes are dark and she wears a white dress. Clarisse is very odd. She has been labeled "anti social."She likes to be a pedestrian and is very curios. She doesn't like staring at her parlor screens all day.

What did Clarisse do with the dandelion? Why? How did Montag react?

Clarisse rubbed the dandelion under Montag's chin. If the dandelion rubbed off on his chin, it meant he was in love. If it didn't rub off, that means he wasn't in love. The dandelion didn't rub off. This upsets Montag because he realizes that he isn't really in love, and is in a loveless marriage.

Why was Clarisse considered anti-social?

Clarisse was considered anti-social because she wanted to talk about how strange the world is, and doesn't have any friends. She doesn't want to do things that normal kids do like: hurting other people, go to Fun Park, watch TV, or play sports.

Who gave Clarisse most of her information about the way life used to be?

Clarisse's uncle gave her most of the information about the way life used to be.

What does Faber give Montag at the end of their meeting? Why?

Faber gives Montag a two way communication device. He gives this to Montag so he can talk and listen to Montag and vise versa. Faber also gives this to Montag in case he needs help, like against Beatty.

Where was Faber going? Why?

Faber was going to St. Louis. He is going to see a retired printer. What can infer from this?

Why did Montag take whiskey, a suitcase, and some of Faber's dirty clothes with him?

He needed some strong smelling items to throw the Hound off of his scent. He "stripped in darkness to the skin, splashed his body, arms, legs, and head with raw liquor; drank it and snuffed some up his nose. Then he dressed in Faber's old clothes and shoes." He allowed his own clothes to be swept away by the river.

What smelled like perfume to Montag?

Kerosene smelt like perfume to Montag.

Who is Mildred, and what happened to her?

Mildred is Guy's wife. She almost killed herself with sleeping pills but didn't die

Who was the informant on Montag's house? Who else had called it in?

Mildred turned in the alarm about the books. Mildred's friends had turned one in earlier, but Beatty let that alarm ride.

At the beginning of this part, Montag and Mildred think someone is at the door. Who do they think is at the door? Why does't the door-voice tell them who is at the door?

Montag and Mildred think Beatty is at the door but they can't tell because Montag turned he thing that announces who's there off. They later realize the Mechanical hound s at the door.

What plan did Montag and Faber talk about in reference to other firemen?

planting books in other fireman's houses, and then calling them in so the fireman's houses would get burned.

What did Montag believe had been done to the hound?

Montag believes that the hound someone in the firehouse knows about the books behind the ventilator and they "told" the hound.

Why didn't Montag run away before he killed Captain Beatty?

Montag didn't run away because he knew the Hound was out there and it would get him.

Why does Montag not heed Faber's warnings and instead confronts the women in his house with a reading of "Dover Beach"?

Montag doesn't heed Faber's warnings and confronts the women in his house because he wants the women to actually experience a book. He is tired of hearing them talk about nothing of substance. He is tired of their cavalier attitude. He was angry about politics and about how they voted for the candidates.

Why does Montag grin with a "fierce grin" before and after he is fighting fires?

Montag grins with a "fierce grin" because it is a pleasure to burn and he enjoys it.

Where did Montag go after he killed Beatty?

Montag was headed to Faber's house. However, he took a detour to hide some books at Fireman Black's house and then he called in the alarm so he would know what it felt like to have possessions burned.

Faber tells Montag: "It's not books you need, it's some of the things that once were in books" (p. 78). What is it that Montag needs and is searching for?

Montag needs and is searching for unlimited details, and awareness that can be stored and not forgotten. He is searching things that are inside of him; feelings.

Explain why Montag felt it was necessary to kill Captain Beatty. Give two reasons.

Montag thought it was necessary because Beatty was going to go after Faber. The second reason is because Beatty dared Montag to do it. "Go ahead now, you second-hand literateur, pull the trigger."

In thinking about Clarisse's friendship and her death, Montag goes "...trembling along the hall to the kitchen" (p. 68). Why has his brief interaction with her made such an impact on him?

Montag's brief interaction with Clarisse made such an impact on him because Clarisse was the first person he's really liked. Her favorite subject wasn't herself. Clarisse made Montag think about things he would have never thought about in general. Actually, she actually made him think, which is something he never did before. Clarisse also made him think and question books.

Clarisse asked Montag if he was happy. Was he?

No, Montag is realizes that he wasn't happy

What are parlor-walls?

Parlor-walls are walls but in place of the actual wall, there is a giant tv screen.

What had Montag been able to memorize?

Part of the Book of Ecclesiastes and part of Revelation.

Why is Faber so discouraged about changing society for the better even if a war wipes out the current culture in their country?

Society didn't quit reading because the fireman forced them to, they just decided to stop reading on their own.

Why did Emergency Hospital send technicians instead of doctors to treat Mildred?

The Emergency Hospital sent technicians instead of doctors because people don't need a M.D on a case like Mildred's. They get so many of the same type of cases a night that they had special machines built just for this type of cases reason. It only takes two handyman who clean up the problem in half an hour, doctors are not required to simply operate a machine

What happened to the city during the war?

The city was bombed into total ruination. There was nothing left except rubble; it was flattened.

How can Montag be sure that he will no longer be considered a fugitive from the law?

The city was demolished and everyone was killed so there's going to be no one left to remember him as a fugitive.

What is the effect of Clarisse's questions on Montag? Why do her questions have this effect?

The effect of Clarisse's questions cause Montag to think. The questions have this effect because he's normally just done what he's told and doesn't ask questions. Now he's asking questions and thinking about things he normally never would have.

What was different about the fire Montag saw after leaving the river?

The fire he saw after the river symbolized warmth. He saw the men holding their hands to the fire for warmth. "He hadn't known fire could look this way. He had never thought in his life that it could give as well as take. Even its smell was different." Why do you think the smell was different?

During the manhunt for Montag by the hound, why did the camera identify an innocent man as Montag?

The government could not have an ordinary citizen outsmarting the Mechanical Hound, who was supposed to always get its man. The government would lose face with the citizenship. They needed a scapegoat so they chose one of the "odd ducks" like Clarisse who liked to walk at night or alone.

Describe the mechanical hound. Why does the hound growl and threaten Montag?

The mechanical hound is a copper and steel creature with ruby glass and sensitive capillary hairs in the nylon brushed nostrils with eight legs spidered under it on rubber-padded paws. It also has a steel needle that injects morphine or procaine into its victim. The hound growls and threatens Montag because someone gave it a little bit of Montag's amino acid sequence.

What did the railroad tracks mean to Montag?

The railroad tracks can signify Montag's new life; it was something familiar to him "the magic charm he might need a little while, to touch, to feel beneath his feet."

Discuss the following passage: "War has been declared. The gas was being pumped outside. The men in the beetles were talking about the engines, the gas, the money owed..."

The war is no big deal to them; they are more concerned with themselves and how much money they owed for the gas. Also, they've already had many wars and a war has been preparing this whole novel.

What were three of the things Clarisses's uncle told her about the past that she related to Montag?

firemen used to put out fires instead of starting them, houses used to have front porches, museums used to be filled with people and facts, not abstract art.

Why do you think Bradbury called this section "Burning Bright"?

This title gives us hope that the characters will actually remember these great novels because the world does not have any books anymore as a result of the nuclear war that has wiped everything out. (The hit of a nuclear bomb is extremely bright and the city burns.) It also refers to the fact that Montag burned Beatty and told him: "We never burned right.." Also, look at page 134 when Montag is discovering the sun and how bright it is

What did Montag and the intellectuals believe their mission to be once the war ended?

To remember and that is where they will win out in the long run. "Some day we'll remember so much that we'll build the biggest steamshovel in history and dig the biggest grave of all time and shove war in and cover it up." But, first, they plan to build a mirror factory, put out nothing but mirrors and for the next year, take a long look in them.

What is the hounds job? Why is Guy afraid of it? Why does he pity it?

To track down a "criminal" down if they tried to run away and infect the target with morphine. Guy is afraid of it because he is harboring books and he is scared someone gave the Hound a little bit of his amino acid combination so the Hound would be weary of him. Guy pities it because it has no thoughts or emotions.

How does the sieve and the sand analogy apply to Montag?

When he tries to put the sand through the sieve it just kept falling through the bottom. When Montag tries to memorize the bible, the information kept going in, and out the other side of his brain. They would not stay. The words leaked out of his brain like the sand leaked out of the sieve.

Clarisse says, "I haven't any friends. That's supposed to prove I'm abnormal". Is Clarisse abnormal? What does she do that keeps people her own age from relating to her?

Yes, Clarisse is abnormal. She likes to have conversations with people and likes to talk about how strange the world is. Clarisse doesn't like the Fun Park, or going out into the streets to bang up cars. She likes to go on the subway and just listen to people.

Who is Guy Montag? What is his job? How is it different from our concept of the profession?

a thirty year old man who is a fireman. He has been a fireman for ten years. However, instead of putting out fires, he starts them. His job is to burn books because they are illegal. At the beginning of the book,, he enjoys his job.

Why is uy so upset once the "cleaners" leave his house? What has he realized about this world?

because a doctor didn't come to take care of Mildred and because of the casual attitude of the "cleaners"

Why did Montag get so mad at Mildred's friends? What did Montag do? Why?

because of their talks and behaviors. Like when they talk about their children husbands, and on how they voted on the president by looks. Montag read them the poem "Dover Beach" because he wanted to scare them.

Why were the alarms to burn always at night

fire is more pretty at night, makes a better show

Why is Montag not happy?

he does not think and he has no relationship with his wife. Before he met Clarisse, he didn't ask questions, he didn't live, he just went through life not really doing anything. He can't remember details about his relationship with Mildred. like how they met. He said he wouldn't she a tear if she died. Montag just did the normal like burning books and using technology, and not having a relationship, and this make him upset.

When Montag visits Faber, Faber calls himself a coward. Why? In what way has he acted cowardly?

he is too cowardly to start a rebellion with the books. He won't leave his house to help Montag. He is a coward because he doesn't want anyone to know he has books. At the beginning he could of spoke up, but he didn't. Then when he did speak up, he was afraid.

What is Montag talking about when he says he saw a snake? Why he is talking about it to Mildred now?

he means the machine that saved Mildred. He is talking about it now because she asked him why should she read, and he says, if she is so happy and content with her life, why did she try to kill herself, and there must be something missing in her life. Books might be what she's missing, and they could possibly bring her happiness.

Give three examples that this takes place in the future

parlor walls, wwIII, billboards,

According to Faber, what three things are necessary to the pursuit of happiness? To what degree has Montag gained each of these three factors in his life at this point of the novel?

quality of information which Montag has at some extent, leisure to digest it and hasn't had time to do this, and the right to carry out actions based on what we learn from the interaction of the first two which he has a low degree on.

What are Montag and Mildred dong at the end of H&S? Why?

reading the books that Montag kept in the ventilator grill. Montag wants to see what all the fuss over books is about. He wants to know why people risk breaking the law to keep them, and wants to know why someone would be burned alive for them.

Discuss the things Clarisse enjoys doing.

talking to people, walking around, going on hikes, collecting butterfly's, trying things that "normal" people don't do, like catching rain water in her mouth, all around enjoys things society doesn't do.

After Captain Beatty leaves Montag's house, what does Montag confess to Mildred? Why?

that he has kept books in their ventilator grill. He does this because it is her house as much as his and she deserves to know. If a house is holding books, the house gets burnt down. They are now in this together, and Mildred now knows her house could be burnt down.

What was the name of the short story before it became Fahrenheit 451

the fireman

Where did Montag first meet Faber and why does Montag go to see him now?

the park, to get information and help . Montag wants several copies of the Bible printed and the thinks Faber can help with that. He also doesn't understand what he's reading and Montag wants Faber to help hum understand and start a revolution.

Although Montag's country has won "two atomic wars since 2022" (p. 69), the threat of another war grows stronger. What reason does Montag give for the country being hated so much? How might books help Montag's countrymen relate to peoples of other countries?

the world works hard and they just play. They are rich and well fed. The rest of the world is poor and starving. Books might help because they might stop them from making the same mistakes and maybe realize what the rest of the world is going through. Books could help the countrymen learn how to help the rest of the world. They have no idea how the other part of the world is living.

What is Mildred's response when Guy tells her what she did with the pills?

unbelief, she didn't believe him that she would take that many pills. She was in denial and thought Montag was being silly

What did the black jets in the story symbolize

war

According to Montag, there are 4 reasons that the rest of the world hates "us". What are the four reasons?

we play while they work, they are poor while we are rich, we are well fed while they are starving, and Montag's society always starts wars.

what is the title of the 2nd part of S&tS referring to? How does it relate to Montag

when Montag was little and tried to fill a sieve with sand for 10 cents, but the sand kept gong through the sieve and he couldn't fill it. When he was trying to memorize the Bible on the train, the information kept going in one ear and out the other. He couldn't retain any of the information

Why did Faber say he was a coward when visiting with Montag?

when he had the chance to speak against banishing books, he didn't and when he did it was too late

How does Montag answer Mildred when she asks why she should read? What does their exchange indicate about the differences between them?

with bringing up the snake and the old women along with Clarisse. Montag is saying that her life is empty, so empty that she doesn't even realize that she tried to kill herself. If her life is so great, why was she so unhappy. Maybe books would fill her with thoughts that would give her a life; a life that the old lady and Clarisse had. Mildred says books aren't people, and Montag says that people have too much fun, that they've forgotten the world. Books can help answer questions. Montag wants answers and Mildred has a superficial personality.