Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

For tomorrow The left side of the class must find information

about: Utopian literature: You must look for the information and write your

findings in your notebook.

The right side of the class must find information about:

Dystopian literature: You must look for the information and write your

findings in your notebook. All of you will answer: Which one of these is

Fahrenheit 451?

Ray Bradbury

Science Fiction authorGrew up in Waukegan, IllinoisIn 1936 he decided to write about the future

In 1942 he sold his first story He is one the most highly developed authors of his time

Fahrenheit 451 Set in the future Written in the early 1950’s World War II had only ended a few

years earlier During the Cold War between

communism and the West Hitler would burn books that he did

not like (1939-1945) Many writers were persecuted

Setting and Characters A futuristic American city in which books are confiscated and

burned Guy Montag

Fireman who burns books Clarrisse

Young girl who causes Montag to reconsider his field of work Mildred

Montag’s wife, a typical member of his society Beatty

Fire chief Faber

Former english professor who helps Montag Granger

Leader of the “hoboes” who memorize books as a way to preserve them

Situation An encounter with an unusual young girl increases

Montag’s fascination with the books he has been burning

This book is about a society in which books are illegal. What do you think it would be like to live in a society in which there were no books?

How does Montag feel about his job at the beginning of the novel?

First main event: Clarrise asks Montag, “Are you happy?’’

Main Events in the novel Montag enters his wife’s room, which seems like a

tomb, and finds that Mildred has once again taken an overdose of sleeping pills.

At his next fire, Montag steals a book. He also witnesses the death of a woman who chooses to burn with her books.

Sickened by the woman’s death, Montag stays home from work the next day. Captain Beatty, who noticed his distress during the burning, stops by to counsel Montag. The chief gives a distorted history of firemen and explains why books are dangerous.

Main Events Montag shows his collections of 20 books to

his wife, who is horrified.

Mildred simply wants to be left alone with her “family”, the cast of an interactive television show.

Montag turns to Faber and together they decide to resist the book-burning. Faber gives Montag a tiny radio so they can maintain communication.

Main Events Montag returns home to find Mildred and her friends

in “the parlor.” Wanting to shock them out of their shallow existence, he reads “Dover Beach” to them. The women report him to the fire department.

When Montag goes back to work, the first call he answers is to his own house. Mildred has turned in the alarm.

Beatty orders Montag to burn his own home and then placed the fireman under arrest. As Montag throws the flame thrower on Beatty, the chief taunts him. Montag burns Beatty to death.

Main Events Pursued by a Mechanical Hound, Montag runs to

Faber’s house. On the way, he realizes that Beatty wanted to die.

Faber tells Montag that he plans to leave for St. Louis and advises Montag to seek safety with the hoboes camped outside the city.

After losing the hound at the river, Montag meets a group of men who preserve books by memorizing them. He becomes the book of Ecclesiastes.

Montag and the others watch as enemy bombs destroy the city

Main Events

Montag and the others watch as enemy bombs destroy the city.

Resolution As Montag and Granger lead a return to the city, Granger predicts that those who remember will bury war and build a new society from the ashes.

Characters to study Black Montag Mildred Clara Phelps Beatty Faber Clement Harris Clarisse McClellan Granger