Fahrenheit 451

Claire Nord, Michelle Mojica, Sania Ahmed, Andy Freiman

Summary

● Part 1: The Heart and the Salamander - Guy Montag - Meets Clarisse - Montag’s wife embodies what society has turned into - When responding to an alarm, Montag is shocked to see a woman choose to burn herself alive with her books - He also steals a book from her home before they all burn - Beatty, the fire chief, suspects Montag has stolen a book so he tells Montag to try to read the books and realize how confusing and unnecessary they are - Montag seeks the help of an old english professor named Faber

Summary Cont.

● Part 2: The Sieve and the Sand - Montag gets into an argument with his wife’s friends - Montag and Beatty get into another argument about the issues surrounding literature - Their argument is interrupted by an alarm - They go to the reported home and discover that it is Montag’s home that was reported

Summary Cont.

● Part 3: Burning Bright - Beatty forces Montag to burn his home alone and also puts him under arrest - Montag freaks out and burns Beatty alive - Montag then runs to Faber house to figure out what to do - Faber instructs him to make it to the abandoned railroad tracks where he can find a group of retired professors that also want to bring books back - Montag finds the tracks and meets the group led by a man named Granger - The group has dedicated their lives to memorizing books - Montag joins them and is given the task of memorizing parts of the Bible

Theme

● Loss of individuality● Deterioration of society● Loss of control over oneself

and the negative effects that come with it

● Significance of hands● Significance of fire

Dover Beach Excerpt - Matthew Arnold “‘Ah, love, let us be trueTo one another! for the world, which seemsTo lie before us like a land of dreams,So various, so beautiful, so new,Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;And we are here as on a darkling plainSwept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,where ignorant armies clash by night.’”

Theme

● TED Talk - Margaret Heffernan: Dare to Disagreehttp://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_dare_to_disagree?utm_source=google.com&utm_content=awesm-publisher&utm_medium=on.ted.com-static&utm_campaign=&awesm=on.ted.com_Heffernan#t-742039

Setting

● Dystopian society● Technologically

advanced● Believes in “equality”

o Rejects books they cause conflict, and

this society wants to avoid conflict

Characterization

● Protagonist: Guy Montago At first he’s happy with being a fireman, but then he

realizes that his life is devoid of meaningo Too hasty--thinks books will instantly fix his and

everyone else’s liveso sometimes has a disconnect between his actions and

thoughts, like when he kills Beatty● Antagonist: Beatty and Society

o Uses his knowledge of books and authority to convince those around him to not question the law - contributing to society’s lack of knowledge and personal thought

o Montag is the first to challenge himo Programs the Hound to attack Montag and forces

Montag to burn down his own homeo Meets his end when his arrogance and abuse of

authority pushes Montag over the edge

Point of View

● 3rd person limited omniscient● Bradbury provides readers with all of

Montag’s thoughts, but none of the other characters’

● Allows readers to connect with Montag and understand his struggle with accepting society for the way it is

Structure

Three parts:● The Hearth and the

Salamander● The Sieve and the Sand● Burning Bright

Structure

Part 1 - The Hearth and the Salamander● Meets Clarisse

o Begins to question societal norms● Rethinks his personal beliefs● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM

Bu6RUMJg0

Structure

Part 2 - The Sieve and the Sand● Montag’s Realization● Only way to change ideas is to

challenge them

Structure

Part 3 - Burning Bright● Taking action● Becomes fugitive

Structure

● Montag’s conflict with society and himselfo Each part the struggle deepens

Questioning, Realizing, and Taking Action

Close Reading

● p. 96: Montag discusses children and politics with Mildred and her friends

● shows lack of sentimentality, independent thought

● shows how rarely people have conversations

Montag moved his lips."Let's talk."

The women jerked and stared."How're your children, Mrs. Phelps?" he asked.

"You know I haven't any! No one in his right mind, the Good Lord knows; would have children!" said Mrs.

Phelps, not quite sure why she was angry with this man.

"I wouldn't say that," said Mrs. Bowles. "I've had two children by Caesarian section. No use going through all that agony for a baby. The world must reproduce, you know, the race must go on. Besides, they sometimes look just like you, and that's nice.

Two Caesarians tamed the trick, yes, sir. Oh, my doctor said, Caesarians aren't necessary; you've got the, hips for it, everything's normal, but I insisted.""Caesarians or not, children are ruinous; you're out of your mind," said Mrs. Phelps.

"I plunk the children in school nine days out of ten. I put up with them when they come home three days a month; it's not bad at all. You heave them into the 'parlour' and turn the switch. It's like washing clothes; stuff laundry in and slam the lid." Mrs.Bowles tittered. "They'd just as soon kick as kiss

me. Thank God, I can kick back! "The women showed their tongues, laughing.Mildred sat a moment and then, seeing that Montag was still in the doorway, clapped her hands. "Let's talk politics, to please Guy!""Sounds fine," said Mrs. Bowles. "I voted last election, same as everyone, and I laid it on the line for President Noble. I think he's one of the nicest-looking men who

ever became president.""Oh, but the man they ran against him!""He wasn't much, was he? Kind of small and homely and he didn't shave too close or comb his hair very well."

"What possessed the 'Outs' to run him? You just don't go running a little short man like that against a tall man. Besides -he mumbled. Half the time I couldn't hear a word he said. And the words I did hear I didn't understand!"

"Fat, too, and didn't dress to hide it. No wonder the landslide was for Winston Noble. Even their names helped. Compare Winston Noble to Hubert Hoag for ten seconds and you can almost figure the results."

"Damn it!" cried Montag. "What do you know about Hoag and Noble?""Why, they were right in that parlour wall, not six months ago. One was always picking his nose; it drove me wild.""Well, Mr. Montag," said Mrs. Phelps, "do you want us to vote for a man like that?"Mildred beamed. "You just run away from the door, Guy, and don't make us nervous."But Montag was gone and back in a moment with a book in his hand.

The problem in our country isn't with books being banned, but with people no longer reading... You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.--Ray Bradbury