...Fahrenheit 451 "The problem in our country isn’t with books being banned, but with people no longer reading. You do not have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them” (Ray Bradbury.) In the novel by Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, it is illegal to possess books. If somehow a fire fighter finds out, you have books in your house. Fire fighters will burn your house and they will show no mercy. In this book, the protagonist Guy Montag, a fire fighter, faces many changes in himself, to do what he thinks is precisely what he needs, to read. One way that Guy Montag changes is with the people surrounding him. One person that changes him is his new neighbor Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse was different from the other kid;...
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...In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, it is about Guy Montag the main character that takes pleasure in his profession as a fireman, by burning illegally owned books and the houses of the owners. Fahrenheit 451 was taken place in the future more focused on the year 2053, and said to be in a big city for example chicago or new york where there's a lot of crime. Some information about Guy Montag is that he is that he is a fireman, and is the third generation fireman in his family. He has “black hair”,black eyebrows, and a blue shaved but unshaved look.He also take pride as a hard worker and is looked up to as a role model. Besides he loves to dress in his firefighter uniform. Montag also thinks of his job as a sport and has heaps of fun while doing his job as a firefighter. Lastly he also has a marriage that is very flunky because it kinda arrays how each of the couple doesn't show their love....
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...Allusions in Fahrenheit 451 In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character Guy Montag undergoes huge changes throughout the book. In the beginning of the book he is a regular firemen who burns down book owners houses without really a thought in the world. Once he meets a girl named Clarisse he begins to think for himself and realizes that the society that he lives in is not as good as it seems to be. Throughout the book Bradbury references various people in history to allude to Guys change. These allusions help you get a better picture of Guy as a person and his changes throughout the book. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses historical allusions to justify Guy Montag’s transformation from a collectivist to an individualist. Ray Bradbury...
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...HOW THE THEME EDUCATION EXTENT IN THE NOVEL ENTITLED FAHRENHEIT 451 BY RAY BRADBURY Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury that tells the story of a future world in which books are banned and burned, TV becomes everyone’s drug of choice, and independent thinking is basically illegal. This novel describes about what happens when books are forgotten or suppressed, and it makes the author’s arguments about the book as a keystone to intellectual freedom and education of the human being. Fahrenheit 451 begins with an ambiguous opening line: "It was a pleasure to burn" (33). The story emphasizes on the live of a fireman named Guy Montag. Inside this story, the author describes that the people live in an era where the houses are all fireproof, people are addicted with TV and radio and the most extreme is that the main job of the fireman is not to end a fire but to start one. Fireman’s job is to find books and burn them. In the beginning of the story Guy Montag was very confirmative, went along with everything the government had ordered him to do and didn’t really question anything. But by the end of the story, he was completely different. He had changed his views completely. One reason that motivated Montag to change was his curiosity. His curiosity started when Montag saw Clarisse McClellan, the 17 years old girl who lived in his neighborhood. Clarisse was really the first person to open up Montag’s mind by asking him questions about his job, “But why do you...
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...Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury is a futuristic novel that incorporates symbolism to represent specific meanings which are in the novel. Bradbury's use of symbolism throughout the novel, makes the book moving and powerful by using symbolism to reinforce the ideas of anti-censorship. The title of the novel: Fahrenheit 451 is a symbol itself. If you break it down and understand the hidden meaning of it, readers can see why Bradbury decided this specific title for his book. Paper burns at 451 degrees Fahrenheit and as readers read the novel they will understand what the book is about and how the title represents it. The Hearth and the Salamander, the title of part one, is the second example of symbolism. The title suggests two things which have to do with fire. Hearth, which people would think of a fire place, can be represented by warmth and goodness. It shows how fire can be used for good and in a non-destructive way. As for Salamander, this can be defined as a small lizard type amphibian which in mythology is known to tolerate fire without getting burned by it. As readers get through part one, they can see how Bradbury uses the salamander as a symbolic meaning for Guy Montag. Guy Montag’s character can be portrayed as a salamander because he works with fire, tolerating its danger yet he continuously believes that he can escape the fire and survive, much like a salamander does. The third symbol which is demonstrated in the novel is the phoenix. A phoenix can be defined as:...
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...indirect characterization, in the creation of Fahrenheit 451. In addition to learning about the explicit qualities of Bradbury’s characters, readers receive deeper insight as we carefully read his stories. In Fahrenheit 451, we learn more indirect information about the protagonist, Guy Montag, through the words used to introduce this character. We have a clear view of Montag’s thoughts and feelings that lead him into his own transformation. When the novel begins, we learn that Montag’s values are similar to that of the society he lives in. The culture in which Montag is accustomed to is one without cogitation or analysis. Their society believes that books cause pain and should not exist. Everyone in this society believes they live in a carefree, painless world beyond having burdens. In the first sentence of the novel, Montag shows how much he loves his work as a fireman: “It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed” (Bradbury 1). The job of a fireman in this society is to set fires, not to eradicate them. Houses that are revealed to contain books, by those who set off the alarms, are destroyed by firemen. Montag enjoys watching books wither and disintegrate in front of his eyes, but never thinks why he does it. His ideas begin to change when he walks home one evening and runs into a young woman named Clarisse McClellan, who lives on the same street as Montag. She initiates a conversation with Montag that makes him feel uncomfortable. All of...
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...How does our society know if we have people hiding their true emotions? How do we pick out the people masking their hearts as perfectly as they cover up their faces? But most of all, how can we stop them from doing something drastic to wipe away the pain stained in their spirit forever? People, young and old, have insecurities or desires to be like other people to a point where it destroys their real personality completely. There is a book, Fahrenheit 451 that connects to our society through the extremely limited emotional expression they have in their world. Even other novels have emotional issues based on whether or not a boy likes them or whether or not they will be in trouble with the authorities for being different. Men, women, and children...
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...In the books Anthem and Fahrenheit 451 by Ayn Rand and Ray Bradbury, both of the main characters live in societies much different than ours. In Fahrenheit 451, the main character, Guy Montag, lives in a society where reading is considered sin and books are considered illegal. In Anthem, the main character, Equality 7-2521, lives in a society where everyone's lives are decided for them. In this dystopian society, there is also a lack of knowledge due to how Equality 7-2521’s government is. Equality 7-2521’s council basically considers it a sin to learn anything their teachers have not taught them. It is also practically considered sin to ask questions and to be curious. Both of these societies face different problems such as a corrupt and oppressive government, inner conflict, and rebellion. In both books, the oppressive governments restrict learning and keep their society dystopian. In Anthem, Equality 7-2521’s...
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...” is what Ray Bradbury said in his book, Fahrenheit 451. This ignorance, when discovered and learned from, can cause a surplus of wisdom and knowledge to appear. The resulting knowledge and wisdom that appear can cause a flurry of new ideas and different perspective to appear in people. Those who remain ignorant, however, are beguiled into remaining in their own world of false bliss. In Fahrenheit 451, several characters have displayed their ignorance, but not all of them have learned from their ignorance. Characters such as Montag and Faber did not hide their ignorance and therefore learned from it whereas characters such as Mildred remained hidden within their own ignorance....
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...Ray Bradbury illustrates a dynamic character, Guy Montag, with his change in mood, viewpoint, and actions throughout the book. In the first part of Fahrenheit 451 he was blind to what his world was becoming and didn’t realize how static he was. The turning point or his change in mood was when Clarisse asked Guy, “ are you happy” (Bradybury, 7). This made Guy think about his job, wife, and the kind of civilization he was living in. In the end Guy recognized he wasn’t pleased and hadn’t even thought about whether he was miserable, angry, or content in so long he wasn’t sure what happiness was by that point. In addition, Guy’s viewpoint on the books and professions began to modify in part two. After Guy viewed a woman die because of the fire...
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...“the incineration of knowledge and wisdom” Fahrenheit 451 Kati Hernandez 10/28/14 AP English 12 Period 1 Three Questions 1. When the story starts, what are the forces acting on Montag? 2. Why would Montag read the poem “Dover Beach,” by Matthew Arnold to Mildred and her friends and how is it significant to the novel? 3. Once Montag becomes an insubordinate, why does the government capture an innocent man instead of tracking down Montag? Literary Criticism Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 follows the protagonist Guy Montag, a fireman living in a dystopic society where books are illegal and burnt if found. Instead of reading citizens watch copious amounts of television . Conversations with pedestrians are unheard of until Montag meets Clarisse, “seventeen and insane”(Bradbury 7). She asks multiple questions about his life, one question which changes his outlook on his entire life, “Are you happy?”(Bradbury 10). After his conversation with Clarisse, Montag is conflicted with his job, his disposition, and his desire for knowledge and wisdom. Using a variety of literary elements throughout Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury emphasizes that wisdom and knowledge are acquired through experience and critical thinking. Bradbury uses allegory and alliteration to develop the idea that the censorship and the distractions of society leads to the gradual decay of knowledge. While on the subway, Montag remembers his childhood memory of himself sitting on a yellow...
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...xi). Neil Gaiman says it best in the introduction to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, whether it be to warn the public, or to encourage, examine, or imagine, writers continue to describe dystopian worlds that may not be real. Gaiman tells the readers of Fahrenheit 451 that "there are three phrases that make possible writing about the world of not-yet[…]and they are simple phrases: What if…? If only…? If this goes on…" (Gaiman xi). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 utilizes the latter of these three phrases. Bradbury pictures that if our society continues to substitute knowledge with instant, mindless gratification, the product would be similar to that of Guy Montag's world. Likewise, "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is created around the phrase, "What if...?" Vonnegut's story was developed while thinking about how the world would be if people were handicapped based on their strengths and weaknesses. The genre of science fiction conveys an author's feelings towards our community, and typically towards our community's future. Both of these texts demonstrate a strong theme, while simultaneously allowing these themes to reveal truths about our society. Firstly, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury demonstrates a theme of how one must be aware and knowledgeable to...
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...novel, Guy Montag, often refers to hands throughout the novel; representing the ability to expose truth and shape the world. Montag also connects with the purity of nature very well; allowing him to express his individuality. With both hands and nature, the author reveals the major theme of truth and ingenuity being revealed in the society. As seen in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the author uses multiple references to hands and nature, representing the central theme of revealing truth and creativity. Montag and other characters have multiple connections with hands throughout the novel, symbolizing his determination to shape...
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...The government continued to dictate the community by deceiving the populous. The government deceived the people by lying about how the country had always been. The leaders had told the firemen about an inaccurate history to deceive them. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy reads the rules and history book that states, “Established, 1790, to burn English-influenced books in the Colonies. First Fireman: Benjamin Franklin” (Bradbury 32). This statement is false because firemen did not burn books in 1790. A heinous way to stay in power is to make something dramatic and similarly entertaining. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Guy was at a house they were about to burn and he pondered on why the alarm is only triggered at night; he wondered if it was because...
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...protagonist. This is present in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. On the other hand, there are some stories such as Test by Theodore Thomas that have taken a different approach. First, in Fahrenheit 451 the author Ray Bradbury writes Clarisse into the novel to inspire the protagonist Guy Montag to take a stand and become an individual and to stop being controlled by the government. She does this by showing him who she is as a person, questioning his morals, and asking him about love. To begin, Clarisse attempts to show Montag who she really is and not for the fugitive that she’s claimed to be. "Well, doesn't this mean anything to you?" He tapped the numerals 451 stitched on his char coloured sleeve. "Yes," she whispered. She increased her pace. "Have you ever watched the jet cars racing on the boulevards down that way? "You're changing the subject!" "I sometimes think drivers don't know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly," she said. "If you showed a driver a green blur, Oh yes! He’d say, that's grass! A pink blur? That's a rose-garden! White blurs are houses. Brown blurs are cows. My uncle drove slowly on a highway once. He drove forty miles an hour and they jailed him for two days. Isn't that funny, and sad, too?" (Bradbury When Montag tries to explain to Clarisse how important and significant burning books is she turned around and tried to explain to him that if he had never read the books he burned how did he know they were bad. Clarisse...
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