Here are your questions for the first third of the book that you have chosen. Your responses to each question should be three to four sentences, minimum, and should include a quote from the book wherever possible to justify your response. Your responses should be posted as comments on this post prior to the class of the due date on which they are assigned; you may also submit responses in handwritten or typed form.
Good Luck!
PRE-READING QUESTIONS
1. Read a biography of Ray Bradbury. Write a summary of no less than 100 words describing him and the things you learned about him from his biography.
(http://www.raybradbury.com/bio.html is a good place to start.)
2. Read the short story "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury (download it here: www.dodea.edu/instruction/curriculum/lars/ela_lab/PreK-Grade6/ Guided%20Reading/AllSummerinaDay.doc)
3. Write a 100 word response to the story and what you think that the story might suggest about the type of book that Ray Bradbury might be capable of writing.
READING QUESTIONS PART I:
The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 3-68)
1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?
2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
5. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?
7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
8. Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
9. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
10. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
12. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
13. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
14. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
15. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
16. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
17. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
18. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.
19. Write a 100 word response in which you ponder your thoughts on the first third of the book.
13 comments:
PRE READING QUESTIONS:
1. Ray Bradbury was a novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, essayist, and playwright. Bradbury was born August 22, 1920 in Illinois. When he was 14 years old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Bradbury would skate around the city, hoping to spot celebrities. He befriended radio star George Burns who gave him his first pay as a writer after contributing a joke to the talk show.
During high school, Bradbury was very active in drama and planned to purse acting. However, his teachers noticed his great potential for writing and encouraged him to purse it instead. A few teachers worked with him on writing and, afterwards, he decided he had more of a passion for it than acting.
Bradbury's formal education ended with high school in 1938. However, he educated himself. He sold newspapers on the street during the day and spend his time in front of his typewriter at night.
His first publication was in the same year he graduated for an amateur fan magazine. He also published four issues of his own magazine. That was only the beginning of his writing. His most famous work was Fahrenheit 451, which was published in 1953.
3. Based on the short story "All Summer in a Day" and Bradbury's biography, you can expect a few different things from Bradbury's writing. He was very outspoken, creative, and politically minded, so I definitely expect these characteristics to be present in one of his works.
In "All Summer in a Day," Bradbury used a lot of creativity and much science fiction writing. Just by reading this short story, I think that Fahrenheit 451 will have a lot of the same writing qualities. Fahrenheit 451 will contain science fiction and politics. I also think that the book will be a lot different than most books I've ever read because he's very creative and original.
1.Ray Bradbury was born on August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois. He was born to a Swedish immigrant mother and a father who was a power and telephone lineman. Then he became a great writer of American fiction. Which can be some attributes he gained from his grandfather and great-grandfather due to them being newspaper publishers. You could say it was in his blood. He was also a reader and writer in his youth. While spending most of his time in the local library, Carnegie Library. He came to write books with Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles and his best known.
3.The story was about a school of kids and a teacher on the planet Venus. It had been raining for seven years and that day the sun was supposed to come out. However a girl named Margret was from earth and could remember the sun better than the others. She was more of an outcast in the story. The children was waiting for the sun and when the teacher left they looked Margret in the closet. The sun then came out and they played for an hour until it rained again. Then remembered Margret had been in the closet the whole time, she had missed it. Then they let her out. He would be capable of writing a fiction book about astronomy.
Tyler Hurst - Period #2 - Fahrenheit 451 Part #1
1. In the novel, firemen perform the exact opposite duties that firemen in modern times perform. Instead of putting out fires, firemen are charged with starting fires. Instead of a hose that sprays water, they have a hose that sprays kerosene. By reversing the fireman’s role in our society, Bradbury is able to reverse our view to better understand the functions of this utopia.
2. A book is a non-living object, which in its simplest form is nothing but a bounded collection of paper. By comparing books to birds, the author is insinuating that books are actually living. Not only are these papers living, but also the characters printed on the pages are living. These books that are simply discarded of in the novel also bring mystery and intrigue to the lives of those living in the book. This comparison helps the author to stress his belief on the importance of books.
3. In the beginning of Fahrenheit 451, Montag loves his job and is overly proud of it. His occupation actually brings him joy: “Later [after burning books], going to sleep, he would feel the fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away that smile…” (Page 4). Montag feels as if he is a “conductor “ whose hands are “playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.” (Page 3) when he burns books.
4. Montag meets a “crazy” girl named Clarisse. She is almost seventeen and is very different from everyone else in society. Bradbury describes a few of her physical appearances in the following lines: “Her face was slender and milk-white” and “… the dark eyes were so fixed…” (Page 5). He is obviously interested in her appearance, as seen by his vivid descriptions.
5. Symbolically it could be represented in the form of a sin. In Christianity, when one sins, the “blood of Jesus” can wash it away. In the theological sense, all bad acts can be forgiven. However, when Bradbury insinuates, “you can never wash it off completely,” he could be referring to the fact that burning books could never be forgiven nor forgotten. The act or crime will always “follow” you around.
6. In my opinion, Montag has enjoyed his week of
short discussions with Clarisse more than the years he has spent with his wife. By introducing Clarisse first, the author is obviously implying her importance on the main character, in whatever capacity. Montag’s wife Mildred represents his pessimistic attitude and his dissatisfaction in a world where everyone is obsessed with satisfaction. Montag admits he could care less if Mildred died, but when he finds out about Clarisse’s death, he is truly impacted. Clarisse changes Montag’s opinion and ultimately inspires him to bring change to his life.
7. Before going to bed, Mildred and Montag alike would take sleeping pills or tablets. When Montag arrives home from work, he kicks an empty pill bottle on the floor and notices that all the pills have been taken. He later realizes that Mildred overdosed on sleeping tablets and is concerned for her life. This suicide attempt reveals how some people are truly dissatisfied with their lives in a society where everyone is supposed to be pleased.
8. The men are very ill mannered and seem to have no real concern with Mildred or Montag. The process was very mechanical, and for that reason the men were impersonal. One of the mean even smoked a cigarette while performing the procedure. The lack of compassion exhibited in this scene goes to show the lack of compassion on a grand scale in the society of Fahrenheit 451.
9. Montag’s house is very cold and dark. He compares his home to a mausoleum, which is saying that his house is merely housing that which is dead. In contrast, Clarisse’s house is always lit up and bright. While Mildred and Montag remain silent, Clarisse’s family is often chatting it up in the house across the street.
10. Mildred acts as if she has no knowledge of her suicide attempt on the previous night. She immediately wakes up hungry and rushes to the kitchen for food. Her self-denial reflects the people’s reluctance to deal with unhappiness. Everyone in society is supposed to be happy and satisfied, and for this reason Mildred hides her true frustrations.
11. When Montag sees Clarisse on page 21, she is walking in the rain, catching raindrops on her tongue and picking one of the last dandelions left. Clarisse represents the exact opposite of Mildred. She is full of spirit and joy and has shown more appreciation and care for Montag in a few days then Mildred has throughout the entirety of the novel. Like the ear buds she uses, Mildred is a shell with no emotion, and no fascination. She lacks emotion and ignores Montag for a trio of fake television characters.
12. A mechanical hound is a robot-like dog, which is trained to kill. The mechanical hound can be programmed to kill anybody and anything. This is seen in the fireman’s story about a man who used the robot to commit suicide. The robot is also used for gambling among the men. The firemen bet on which animal the mechanical hound will kill first. This hound represents one of the many items that Bradbury uses to display how replacing flesh with metal has completely taken all the life out of the people.
13. The hound simply doesn’t like Montag. It reacts coldly to Montag, almost as if it is programmed to go after him. It is for this reason that Montag is frightened and goes as far as to suggest to Captain Beatty that the mechanical hound needs to be checked out.
14. Because she chooses to be dissimilar and express herself differently. She has no desire to be manipulated in to playing a never-ending series of sports. She also doesn’t enjoy the large screen televisions, just like Montag. It is simply because she is different, not necessarily anti-social by definition, that she is labeled.
15. In the next fire, Montag quickly grabs a book before it can be burned. He hides the novel in his uniform and sneaks it to his house. Once home, he is nervous and quickly hides the book under his pillow.
16. Beatty reveals that he actually has knowledge of the things he is burning. It seems as if the captain has actually at one time participated in the things now made illegal. Beatty himself might be a book enthusiast who uses his position to get a hold of items to read.
17. Mildred informs Montag that she thinks Clarisse had died. Mildred says she had forgotten to tell him. When Montag asks what happened, she informs him that Clarisse was ran over by a car (maybe one of those cars she despised for going so fast). Following Clarisse’s death, her entire family moves away.
18. One of the truths in Beatty’s speech is this: “…not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but made equal”. (Page 58). Beatty also reflects on the unfortunate truth of mass censorship due to complaints by minorities offended. This is common in our society today and it seems as if this description by the captain is a warning and a truth to those currently advocating censorship. A final truth in the captains speech is that in the end, everyone strives to be similar, and in that quest for similarity learn to despise individualism and intellectuals who are seen as “superior”.
19. The first part of the book provides a vivid description of a world where people strive to be the same and live for a moment’s satisfaction. Everyone in this utopian society is living life in the fast lane. The thing lacking in the novel is ultimately humanity. The people are lacking the all-too-human characteristics that we value to this day. Montag despises technology (televisions, mechanical hound, and blood pumping machine) because it has taken the place of emotion, especially the emotion exhibited in literature. The first third of the novel makes the reader despise Mildred and ponder the complexity of Captain Beatty. The beginning is a great introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and shocks them with the oxymorons and paradoxes present throughout the book.
Chelsey Hayes
2nd period
Fahrenheit 451
1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?
The firemen burn any book they see on sight. The government has outlawed books and if a book is found they must burn it immediately.
2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
The books are compared to birds because the firemen like the old joke “to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon winged books died” They compare birds to books because when they throw the books in the fire the wings start flapping like a bird.
3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
Montag thinks his job is a special pleasure to see things blackened and changed. After he burned the house down he returns to the firehouse “he might wink at himself, a minstrel man, burnt corked, in the mirror.”
4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
Montag meets a girl, named Clarisse McClellan on the way to his home. She is Montag’s new neighbor. “OF course,” He said “you’re our new neighbor, aren’t you?”
5. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
The symbolic meaning to the sentence “You never wash it off completely” means that no matter how much you try to wash of the smell of kerosene you’ll always be reminded of your profession.
6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?
I think Bradbury introduced Clarisse before Montag’s wife, Mildred because he thought it would be improper for him to introduce Mildred before Clarisse.
7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
Mildred was trying to commit suicide by taking a bunch of sleeping pills. The bottle of tablets had thirty in it earlier and now it had none in it. She refused to talk about it the next morning like it never happened.
8. Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
She receives help from two handy man that carry around two machines that, one slid down into her stomach and sucked it out and the other machine pumped all of the blood out of her body and replaced it with fresh blood and serum. Yes, there is something unusual about Mildred’s help that she is receiving because it should be an M.D pumping her not two handy man that are inexperienced.
9. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
Montag’s house is very different form Clarisse’s how because Clarisse’s house is more relaxed and booming with laughter and Montag’s house is more forced and unexpected.
10. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
She reacts like nothing happened she kept interrupting him saying she didn’t sleep well, I don’t know why I’m so hungry and she thought they had a party and hoped she didn’t do anything foolish. She said she would never take so many pills, she keeps denying it.
11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
Clarisse is in her own house and she is laughing and smiling with her mother, father and uncle. Clarisse is different from Mildred because Clarisse is more happy then Mildred and more filled of
12. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
The Mechanical hound is alive but not alive. It sleeps but does not sleep. It’s made of brass, copper and steel. The hound also has eight spider legs and rubber- padded paws.
13. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
The hound growled at Montag for petting his muzzle. The hound growled again and a strange frying sound, scraping metal.
14. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
The society considers Clarisse “anti-social” because she doesn’t mix with other people and the society think she’s strange because she doesn’t mix with others.
15. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
At the next fire Montag takes a book from the woman’s library because he was curious after reading a sentence form a burning book so he decided to take the next one that fell in his hands.
16. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
Breatty reveals that he knows bits and pieces from books because “ I’m full of bits and pieces.” “Most fire captains have to be. Sometimes I surprise myself.”
17. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
Mildred told Montag that a car hit her four days ago and that thinks she may be dead but she’s not exactly for sure.
18. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.
Beatty talks about how things got started after the Civil War and how they didn’t get along until photography came into place. Things started to really get going then all of a sudden it vanishes. Beatty is also talking about how magazines area blend of vanilla tapioca and books are dishwater. He is also stating that “Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal.” said Beatty pg 62.
19. Write a 100 word response in which you ponder your thoughts on the first third of the book.
My thoughts on the first third of Fahrenheit 451 are that it is a very good book so far, it is defiantly well written and very interesting for the reader. I loved the first third of Fahrenheit 451 because for me I love books and reading a book about burning them is sad yet interesting at the same time. The plot for Fahrenheit 451 is very unexpected and will more than definitely keep the readers attention throughout the first third of this novel.
Pre-Reading
1. Ray (Douglas) Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, on August 22, 1920. He was the third son and he was given his middle name, Douglas, after the famous actor Douglas Fairbanks. Bradbury grew up to become not only a novelist, but also and essayist, playwright, screenwriter, lecturer, and even a visionary. In 1934, Ray moved to Los Angeles, California, where he befriended talented and creative people, such as special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen and radio star George Burns. Bradbury went to Los Angeles High School, where he was an active member in drama and planned on later becoming an actor.
Bradbury never went to college; instead he sold newspapers on the corners o streets throughout LA. However, after selling papers all day, he would spend his nights in the library and using the typewriter. His first published story was “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma” in 1938. As he improved as a writer he wrote the story “The Lake” – the story which would set his creative tone for the rest of his works. Bradbury became an established science fiction writer with his publication of “The Martian Chronicles” in 1950. In 1953, Bradbury’s best-known work was released; “Fahrenheit 451”. Bradbury is still living and still writes and lectures to this day.
2. “All Summer in a Day” is a science fiction short story that takes place on the rainy, tropical planet called Venus. The story focuses on a girl who recently moved to Venus from Earth named Margot. She is in a class full of nine year olds. Margot is an outcast, primarily because she chooses to segregate herself from her classmates and because of her nervous breakdown where she refused to shower at school because she didn’t want to feel any water on her head. Many of the kids are also jealous because Margot could remember the sun on Earth, but the classmates from Venus couldn’t. On the planet Venus, the sun comes out only every seven years, and the last time the sun came out the children were only two years of age.
It is now time again for the sun to come out, and scientists are predicting the sun to come out that very day. Margot tells all her classmates this, but all they do is taunt and ridicule her about the sun. The teacher leaves the room momentarily, and the class leader/bully, William, persuades the class to lock Margot in the closet. They do, and when the teacher returns the sun comes out. All the children run outside to play for only an hour until the rain returns. When the sun goes down and the rain begins again, the children return to the classroom and realize what they had just done. Margot, the person longing to see the sun, had been in the closet and missed out on the event.
I feel that Ray Bradbury would be capable of writing many novels that share the themes present in this short story. I am sure he is capable of adequately writing about topics such as discrimination and individualism.
READING QUESTIONS PART I:
The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 3-68)
1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?
A fireman in Fahrenheit 451 isn't like a typical fireman of our world. In the book, there aren't house fires. Instead, firemen burn books.
2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
While the books were burning, the "flapping" pages slowly began to die down. The books looked like birds trying to get away.
3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
In the beginning of the book, it says: "It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blacked and changed." Montag enjoys his job. I think he enjoys the power he has of burning the books. On page four, it says "It never went away, that smile, it never ever went away, as long as he remembered."
4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
Montag meets Clarisse McClellan, a seventeen-year-old girl.
5. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
Montag means that he can never change what he's done.
6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?
I think that Clarisse was introduced because she plays a bigger part to the story. She sparks a change in Montag while his wife does not.
7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
Mildred took too many of her sleeping pills.
8. Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
The books says that they had two machines. The first was inserted down your throat and into your stomach where it "drank up the green matter that flowed to the top in a slow boil," which I think refers to the poison. It seems to be like a stomach pump with an "Eye." The second machine was the unusual one. It pumped all of the blood out of the body and inserted new blood and serum. The men seem to act very casual about the process, and they're not even doctors, either. One of them is smoking a cigarette. It's unusual because they brought the machines to the house, but we would usually call an ambulance to take the person to the hospital. It seems to be a very frequent job for the men because one says they have to go because a few blocks away someone else "just jumped off the cap of a pillbox."
9. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
Montag doesn't really spend a lot of time with his wife from what I could gather. She spends time in the parlor with her "family." In Clarisse's house, her family spends a lot of time discussing the world and the way things are. They spend a lot of time talking and thinking -- something very rare in the society Montag lived in.
10. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
She denies the whole thing and claims not to remember it.
11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
She's walking in the rain when Montag sees her. Clarisse is completely different than Mildred. For one, she's much younger but acts much older. She's more knowledgeable about many things, whereas Mildred doesn't seem to be. Mildred obviously isn't happy, but Clarisse appears to be, even though she knows that things aren't as good as people try to make them seem. Mildred also seems to be greedy and more superficial, only wanting more, while Clarisse is happy with simpler things.
12. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
The mechanical hound is a robot dog. Its purpose is to track things.
13. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
The hound growled and began to act as though he wanted to attack Montag.
14. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
Society thinks that Clarisse is anti-social because she has conversations about real things and asks questions. She's curious and talks about the wrong things.
15. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
He takes the only known copy of the Bible.
16. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
Montag says that the woman said "Master Ridley." Then, Beatty replies with a quote referring to what she said, saying that he's "full of bits and pieces." It shows that Beatty knows a lot more than people think. Later in the book he tells Montag that he's read books before, and I think that some of his knowledge is from these books.
17. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
Mildred tells Montag that Clarisse was hit by a car and died and the entire family moved away.
18. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.
1. He says that school and great works are shortened into digests, columns, and reviews to a point where people do not know all the facts and things are neglected.
2. He says that the "bigger the market," the more problems you have. He says that having more books, plays, TV shows, etc. only upsets more people because a bigger population has more minorities, which means that, in the end, someone gets offended.
3. He says that "you always dread the unfamiliar" and that people do not cope well with it.
19. Write a 100 word response in which you ponder your thoughts on the first third of the book.
I'm not typically a big fan of classics, but so far I really enjoy the book. Fahrenheit 451 leaves the reader with a lot to think about, and it makes you wonder what it would be like to live in a society like Montag's. I really like Clarisse because shes very free spirited and thoughtful. She doesn't live the way others do: without any thought or reason. I hope that Mildred is wrong and that she hasn't died because I would really like for her to appear later on in the book. I think it's a good thing that Montag met her because it's really sparked a change in him -- a change for the better. Life without books and thought and ideas isn't a life for people. We're meant to have opinions and knowledge about the things around us. It's obvious that people aren't supposed to live like this because the men who came to Mildred's aid said that they had other cases to tend to of people who tried to commit suicide. I'm glad that Montag has seen that there's another way to live besides how the government says so, and is following Clarisse's example. He knows that he's not happy, and he knows that books are not corrupt. In 1984, the book ended with Winston Smith going back to his old ways, but I really hope that Fahrenheit 451 doesn't end that way. I hope he can find a way to start a change in people and help them realize that there is nothing wrong with people like Clarisse who question things.
Pre- Reading Questions
Biography of Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet born in 1920. Although Bradbury ended his formal education after high school, he became what he called a “student of life” selling newspapers on a L.A. street corner. It was in this part of his life that he began to write. Spending his days on a typewriter, and his nights in a public library, Bradbury built up his repertoire of pieces, until he became a full-time writer in 1943. He published numerous pieces, and then a collection of stories titled Dark Carnival, in 1947. He was married the same year.
Through the years, Bradbury has become a sensational writer, publishing more than thirty books, six hundred short stories, and too many essays, poems, and plays to count. In addition to his written work, Bradbury was nominated for an Academy Award, and won an Emmy Award for his screenplays Icarus Montgolfier Wright and The Halloween Tree. He also has adapted sixty-five of his short stories for T.V., and was the creative consultant on the 1964 Worlds Fair, and two amusement rides on Disney theme parks around the world.
Bradbury’s wife Maggie passed away in 2003, leaving him with their four daughters, Los Angelos home, numerous cats. Even though Ray Bradbury has lost his wife and is very elderly, he still feels the same enthusiasm for life that he did as a child. He still loves to write, and hopes that his life will continue fro many more years.
“All summer in a Day” Pre-Reading Essay
Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in a Day” tells the story of children living on Venus. Because of Venus’s clouds, the sun is very rarely seen. None of the children have seen the sun except for one little girl, who was born on earth. Just before the sun is set to come out the other children lock the girl in the closet. She misses seeing the sun.
I think that this story shows that Bradbury is capable of creating stories set in worlds different than our own. It shows that Bradbury is a very creative thinker, and that he is capable of writing powerful stories that will make the reader think and question their own world.
Fahrenheit 451- Part 1 Reading Questions
1. The firemen burn the books that are collected by people who are considered dangerous by the government.
2. Bradbury describes the books as “pigeon-winged”. What he means is, that the books are fragile, like birds, and that they frantically flap as they try to escape the fire.
3. Montag loves his job and takes a lot of happiness in seeing the fire burn the books. He says that the kerosene used as an accelerant to burn the books is like perfume to him; that it is an enjoyable fragrance.
4. On his way home from work, Montag meets Clarisse McClellan.
5. He means that the memory of all the destruction never completely leaves him. It could also mean it as pride in his work, and that he will never be anything other than a fireman at heart. In both of these metaphors, the kerosene is a symbol of the firemen, and their occupation.
6. I think that Bradbury introduced Clarisse before Mildred because Clarisse is a more dynamic character in Montags life. She has more impact on him than Mildred, so Bradbury introduced Clarisse to the audience before Mildred.
7. Mildred had swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills, and was dying from them.
8. Mildred’s stomach is pumped and her blood is replaced. Te men who do this are stone-faced men who perform this procedure while Mildred is still in her own house. She isn’t taken to a hospital like she would be now. The men who treat her are also very cold, distant and rude. They seem detached from their work and the fact that Mildred could have died.
9. Montag’s house lacks the warmth and activity that Clarisse’s has. His house is dark, while all the lights are on in hers. The also stay up and talk to each other at Clarisse’s house, while Montag goes straight to bed and at first doesn’t think it odd that his wife doesn’t speak when he comes in from work. Clarisse’s home seems to glow with the love and warmth that her family has, while Montag’s house is cold and lonely.
10. She acts as is she doesn’t know what happened. She is very hungry because of the sedative given to her while they pumped her stomach and blood. She thinks that Montag is lying and has made up the entire ordeal.
11. Clarisse is catching raindrops in her mouth and on her face. Clarisse is different than Mildred because she is whimsical and she thinks about things that no one else thinks about. Mildred is very generic and sheep-like, following the flock. Clarisse is the exact opposite of Mildred; she seems to be different than most others.
12. The mechanical hound is an eight-legged machine that “is alive, but is not alive”. It is an AI machine that is used to track down books and people.
13. The hound doesn’t like Montag. It growls and threatens Montag with the giant needle it uses to kill fugitives.
14. The system considers Clarisse antisocial because she doesn’t like the same things as the other children her age. She enjoys intellectual discussions instead of bullying and sports. They say she “doesn’t mix”.
15. At the next fire, Montag snatches a book that fell from the attic.
16. On page 40, Beatty reveals that he had once read books. He tells Montag that every fireman goes through it, and that even though he read the books, the words mean nothing.
17. Clarisse died almost two weeks after Montag had met her. Montag was told that she had been hit by a car while walking in the road, something she liked to do.
18. Three truths that Beatty tells to Montag are that the world is becoming more technology oriented, that intellectuals are becoming even scarcer and that people are thinking less independently, relying on the organization of the flock more and more.
19. The first third of the book was, to me, an introduction as well as a new beginning for the character Montag. It showed us that he is starting to get tired of and understand the faults in his society. He also begins to question the ethics of his occupation. He is curious about books and their content, and the reasons someone would die for them. I think that the reason Montag is asking all these questions of himself is because of Clarisse. She makes him think about the world and society, and thus sets him wondering. He wants to change himself and his world and I think that somehow, he will in the chapters to come.
Sam Furst
Pre-Reading Questions
1. Ray Bradbury is a very talented writer. Not only is he as American novelist, but he is also, a short story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet. Ray Bradbury didn’t have a lot of schooling, but still became one of the most famous writers around. He graduated from Los Angeles high school in 1938, however, his formal schooling ended there. Ray Bradbury has won multiple awards for his outstanding achievement in writing, such as, O. Henry Memorial Award, Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America, and he won the National Book Foundation Medal. Ray Bradbury spends a lot of time jotting down his ideas, and thoughts. He is one of Americans most talented, and well-known authors.
2. “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury is a very unique and well -written short story. This short story is sad, and unfair. It’s also set in a surreal place setting. The setting might relate to the future because it is set on venues, and no one lives there as of today. I think this short story shows that Ray Bradbury writes a lot about unfair treatment, and topics surreal and unfamiliar. His way of writing suggest that his books will be about subjects that in this point of time, are unthinkable to man, and the books will be filled with cruelty, or unfair conduct.
Reading Questions Part 1:
1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?
-Answer: The “Firemen” instead of putting fires out, they start them by burning books.
2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
-Answer: In the opening scene, Ray Bradbury compares books to birds by describing the books as pigeon wings. When books burn their pages flap, which is a similar characteristics of bird wings.
3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
-Answer: He was in love with his job, every day he wore a huge smile on his face that he could still feel even when he went to sleep.
4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
-Answer: A girl, who was his new neighbor named Clarisse McClellan.
5. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
-Answer: It means once things happen you can’t change them. Once the books are burnt, and the knowledge destroyed, they never come back. The bad things never wash off; they’re worn on your body for everyone to see.
6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?
-Answer: I think Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Mildred, because Clarisse plays a bigger role in Montag’s life. Clarisse had an impact on Montag’s though, feeling, and him as a person. She changed the way he looked at things, and the way he felt about them. Mildred could have simply been a stranger to him, if she died he said he would not cry, sometimes he didn’t even recognize her.
7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
-Answer: She had taken a whole bottle of sleeping tablets.
8. Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
-Answer: The men used two machines to pump out her stomach and remove her old blood and put in the new. It was strange because they were not even doctors, and the way they talked to Montag about the job seemed like they took it as some kind of joke. They acted very unprofessional.
9. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
-Answer: In Clarisse’s house, her father, her mother, and her uncle stayed up all night and talked and talked, and laughed and laughed. The lights were always on at night. In Montag’s house at night it was dark and empty, there was no laughted and everyone was sleeping.
10. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
-Answer: At first, she is very hungry and doesn’t know why. Montag asked her if she remembered what happened last night and she said no. She acted unaware and thought maybe they had a party last night and she couldn’t remember. After she finds out what happened, she doesn’t believe it she keeps saying, “Oh, I wouldn’t do that.”
11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
-Answer: Clarisse is walking in the rain, letting the droplets fall down on her face. The page before Mildred is inside reading her script. Clarisse seems to be a much more outgoing person than Mildred. Clarisse is always outside, looking at her surroundings and learning more about life, Mildred seems just like the rest of the people around. She just sits inside all day and hides herself from the world.
12. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
Answer: It’s a dog like machine that is used for hunting down people who try to get away for the fire when the “firemen” burn their houses.
13. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
Answer: The Hound growls at Montag. It acts like it doesn’t like him. Montag is afraid it wanted to attack him.
14. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
Answer: Because Clarisse doesn’t like doing the same things as normal people, like watch TV and do the things other kids do at school they say she’s antisocial. When really she likes being with people, she just doesn’t like doing what everyone else does.
15. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
Answer: He takes a book.
16. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
Answer: He tells Montag of the past and how books were allowed and how different the world was, and how bad advanced thought made peoples lives. He reveals to Montag that he himself has read books, and all firemen get the itch to. “At least once in his career, every fireman gets an itch, what do the books say, he wonders. Oh, to scratch that itch, eh? Well, Montag, take my word for it, I’ve had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and the books say nothing!”
17. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
Answer: Clarisse got hit by a car. She was playing in the road and a car ran right over her. Mildred was the first to deliver the news to Montag.
19. Write a 100-word response in which you ponder your thoughts on the first third of the book.
Answer: This book is a strong and intelligent work of literature. It displays a profound look at a world with a more simple way of thinking. Montag is the main character and I really like that the author shows his emotional changes throughout the first book. Montag struggles with his beliefs, and starts turning on everything he’s believed in when he meats the “antisocial” girl, Clarisse. I also like this book because, from Clarisse’s point-of-view, it shows us just how much people don’t pay attention and don’t care about their surroundings and environment. I believe all people can get a good look into what the future might become.
English honors II
Questions!
5th period
Pre reading questions.
Read a biography of Ray Bradbury. Write a summary of no less than 100 words describing him and the things you learned about him from his biography.
For one the author seems to be a writer that’s had a good and happy life! It’s a shock but its cool, and nice change of pace. He won many awards, so many it must feel like candy to him by now. He wrote books that had to deal with courage and vision. He had 4 daughters and 8 grand children and was married to his wife Maggie. In 2000 when he hit the age of 80 he said he was feeling like he did when he was 12 and had good plans for the future and was full of joy.
3. Write a 100 word response to the story and what you think that the story might suggest about the type of book that Ray Bradbury might be capable of writing.
It seems to me he has a good understanding about the way children act. He probably from what I read write a heart-wrenching story about how cruel people can be or how innocent they can be in their cruelty. Based of this he could very well right a story that makes people cry, a sad story about oppression or something like it. It could span even greater if he knows how adults work too, so maybe even…a distopia (gasp). So the girl in the closet could by all means turn into the strange man that’s been shunned and put in exile for having some radical ideas.
1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?
The Firemen are people who burn books for a living. In “Fahrenheit 451” books are illegal, any books found are censored via burning.
2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
The Books are mental freedom. If the books are allowed to be read the people in this story will have the ability to start thinking for themselves. Birds often symbolize freedom; they can fly and go just about anywhere. The books are the main catalyst for people to gain complex thoughts, burning them is like killing birds, its taking away freedom.
3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
He loves his job, he finds is a pleasure, “It was special pleasure to things eaten to see things blackened and changed.” He also thinks his job is satisfactory, ” Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame”.
4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
He runs into a strange girl called Clarisse. “Well,” She said, “I’m seventeen and I’m crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he Said, always say seventeen and insane . Isn’t this a nice time of night to walk? I like to smell things and look at things, and sometimes stay up all night, walking, and watch the sun rise.”
5. During his conversation, Montag says "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
It means that what he does in his job will have an everlasting effect. Just like how the kerosene smell doesn’t go away, the books will never be brought back.
6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?
So the reader can get the feel of how different the two people are, and to have a greater impact when the reader sees how “less of a person” Montag’s wife is. Clarisse is a crazy young girl, she’s alive and seems happy, nothing but optimistic thinking comes to mind when seeing that character. Once Mildred comes on the scene, it becomes more apparent how different Clarisse is from the norm, making the readers have a new sense of awe for her unique character (and giving readers a reference for how bad things are in this world from out own). Clarisse is shown to be much different from Mildred, which would a make Clarisse a seemingly important character from the get-go.
7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
She took all the sleeping pills she had. It was a result of short term memory loss, she forgot that took the sleeping pills, so she took more pills. The process of forgetting and taking pills continued until she had taken the whole bottle.
8. Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
She gets her stomach pumped. “One slid down your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for all the old water and old time gathered down there.” Yes, the men don’t seem concerned at all about Mildred. Apparently stuff like this happens all the time “We get these cases nine or ten a night. Got so many, starting a few years ago, we had the special machines built”. The men are at ease and know that everything’s gonna turn out ok, this is strange considering that Mildred’s life is on the line.
9. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
Clarisse’s house is full of life,” “What’s going on?” Montag had rarely seen that many house lights. “Oh, just my mother and father and uncle sitting around, talking.” ”.
10. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
She clueless, she thinks there was a rough party and she got drunk and passed out. “ ”Don’t you remember?” “What? Did we have a wild party and or something? Feel like I have a hangover. God, I’m hungry, Who was here? ”
11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
She’s walking around in the rain. “ The raid was thinning away and the girl was walking in the center of the sidewalk wither her head up and the few drops falling on her face.” Clarisse is full of life and willing to do crazy stuff. She’s a character and has personality, unlike Mildred.
12. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
The mechanical hound is a weird spider-like thing, its supposed to kill pests. “its eight spidered under it on rubber padded paws.”
13. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
It seems to be suspicious of Montag, it threatens him, “Montag touched the muzzle. The Hound growled. Montag jumped back.”.
14. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
Because, she likes to talk to people and be…social. “ ‘Social to me means talking to you about things like this.’ She rattled some chestnuts that had fallen off a tree in the front yard. ”. Its seems begin social is not social and being anti-social is social in this world. Also Begin social means hurting people “But everyone I know is either shouting or dancing around like wild or beating up on one another”. Sound like opposite day or something, Social is now being a quiet, hurtful idiot.
15. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
A book. “Montag’s hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion, with an insanity of mindlessness to his chest.”
16. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
He quoted this “ ‘We shall on this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shale never be put out”, meaning that Beatty has a good memory, something that’s hard to come by in Fahrenheit 451.
17. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
She died. She was hit by a car, “ No. The same girl. McClellan. Run over by a car. Four days ago. I’m not sure. But I think she’s dead. The family moved out anyway. I don’t know but I think she’s dead.
18. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.
People are put for pleasure.
People go from place to place, never stopping to make roots, always moving.
Ignorance is bliss.
19. Write a 100 word response in which you ponder your thoughts on the first third of the book.
The first third of the book was very interesting. I’m glad its no where near as harsh as the 1984 novel (at least, not yet). Clarisse was my favorite character, I found it almost unbelievable that she died so soon. This world seems to be like 1984, but only one aspect of 1984 is in play, that aspect is the thought of the public are being manipulated. Its important to note that keep books are against the law which struck me as, “Oh hey there people aren’t as good at control as BB was” they have laws, so its not just an invisible undertone of “you do [Free and normal thing here], you die” that 1984 had. Also, I think the spider hound of death thing is pretty sweet! Although it does scare me… a lot…
Tyler Hurst - Hey i posted these on the night of March 17th and i guess it didnt go through for some reason.
1. In the novel, firemen perform the exact opposite duties that firemen in modern times perform. Instead of putting out fires, firemen are charged with starting fires. Instead of a hose that sprays water, they have a hose that sprays kerosene. By reversing the fireman’s role in our society, Bradbury is able to reverse our view to better understand the functions of this utopia.
2. A book is a non-living object, which in its simplest form is nothing but a bounded collection of paper. By comparing books to birds, the author is insinuating that books are actually living. Not only are these papers living, but also the characters printed on the pages are living. These books that are simply discarded of in the novel also bring mystery and intrigue to the lives of those living in the book. This comparison helps the author to stress his belief on the importance of books.
3. In the beginning of Fahrenheit 451, Montag loves his job and is overly proud of it. His occupation actually brings him joy: “Later [after burning books], going to sleep, he would feel the fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away that smile…” (Page 4). Montag feels as if he is a “conductor “ whose hands are “playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.” (Page 3) when he burns books.
4. Montag meets a “crazy” girl named Clarisse.
She is almost seventeen and is very different from everyone else in society. Bradbury describes a few of her physical appearances in the following lines: “Her face was slender and milk-white” and “… the dark eyes were so fixed…” (Page 5). He is obviously interested in her appearance, as seen by his vivid descriptions.
5. Symbolically it could be represented in the form of a sin. In Christianity, when one sins, the “blood of Jesus” can wash it away. In the theological sense, all bad acts can be forgiven. However, when Bradbury insinuates, “you can never wash it off completely,” he could be referring to the fact that burning books could never be forgiven nor forgotten. The act or crime will always “follow” you around.
6. In my opinion, Montag has enjoyed his week of short discussions with Clarisse more than the years he has spent with his wife. By introducing Clarisse first, the author is obviously implying her importance on the main character, in whatever capacity. Montag’s wife Mildred represents his pessimistic attitude and his dissatisfaction in a world where everyone is obsessed with satisfaction. Montag admits he could care less if Mildred died, but when he finds out about Clarisse’s death, he is truly impacted. Clarisse changes Montag’s opinion and ultimately inspires him to bring change to his life.
7. Before going to bed, Mildred and Montag alike would take sleeping pills or tablets. When Montag arrives home from work, he kicks an empty pill bottle on the floor and notices that all the pills have been taken. He later realizes that Mildred overdosed on sleeping tablets and is concerned for her life. This suicide attempt reveals how some people are truly dissatisfied with their lives in a society where everyone is supposed to be pleased.
8. The men are very ill mannered and seem to have no real concern with Mildred or Montag. The process was very mechanical, and for that reason the men were impersonal. One of the mean even smoked a cigarette while performing the procedure. The lack of compassion exhibited in this scene goes to show the lack of compassion on a grand scale in the society of Fahrenheit 451.
9. Montag’s house is very cold and dark. He compares his home to a mausoleum, which is saying that his house is merely housing that which is dead. In contrast, Clarisse’s house is always lit up and bright. While Mildred and Montag remain silent, Clarisse’s family is often chatting it up in the house across the street.
10. Mildred acts as if she has no knowledge of her suicide attempt on the previous night. She immediately wakes up hungry and rushes to the kitchen for food. Her self-denial reflects the people’s reluctance to deal with unhappiness. Everyone in society is supposed to be happy and satisfied, and for this reason Mildred hides her true frustrations.
11. When Montag sees Clarisse on page 21, she is walking in the rain, catching raindrops on her tongue and picking one of the last dandelions left. Clarisse represents the exact opposite of Mildred. She is full of spirit and joy and has shown more appreciation and care for Montag in a few days then Mildred has throughout the entirety of the novel. Like the ear buds she uses, Mildred is a shell with no emotion, and no fascination. She lacks emotion and ignores Montag for a trio of fake television characters.
12. A mechanical hound is a robot-like dog, which is trained to kill. The mechanical hound can be programmed to kill anybody and anything. This is seen in the fireman’s story about a man who used the robot to commit suicide. The robot is also used for gambling among the men. The firemen bet on which animal the mechanical hound will kill first. This hound represents one of the many items that Bradbury uses to display how replacing flesh with metal has completely taken all the life out of the people.
13. The hound simply doesn’t like Montag. It reacts coldly to Montag, almost as if it is programmed to go after him. It is for this reason that Montag is frightened and goes as far as to suggest to Captain Beatty that the mechanical hound needs to be checked out.
14. Because she chooses to be dissimilar and express herself differently. She has no desire to be manipulated in to playing a never-ending series of sports. She also doesn’t enjoy the large screen televisions, just like Montag. It is simply because she is different, not necessarily anti-social by definition, that she is labeled.
15. In the next fire, Montag quickly grabs a book before it can be burned. He hides the novel in his uniform and sneaks it to his house. Once home, he is nervous and quickly hides the book under his pillow.
16. Beatty reveals that he actually has knowledge of the things he is burning. It seems as if the captain has actually at one time participated in the things now made illegal. Beatty himself might be a book enthusiast who uses his position to get a hold of items to read.
17. Mildred informs Montag that she thinks Clarisse had died. Mildred says she had forgotten to tell him. When Montag asks what happened, she informs him that Clarisse was ran over by a car (maybe one of those cars she despised for going so fast). Following Clarisse’s death, her entire family moves away.
18. One of the truths in Beatty’s speech is this: “…not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but made equal”. (Page 58). Beatty also reflects on the unfortunate truth of mass censorship due to complaints by minorities offended. This is common in our society today and it seems as if this description by the captain is a warning and a truth to those currently advocating censorship. A final truth in the captains speech is that in the end, everyone strives to be similar, and in that quest for similarity learn to despise individualism and intellectuals who are seen as “superior”.
19. The first part of the book provides a vivid description of a world where people strive to be the same and live for a moment’s satisfaction. Everyone in this utopian society is living life in the fast lane. The thing lacking in the novel is ultimately humanity. The people are lacking the all-too-human characteristics that we value to this day. Montag despises technology (televisions, mechanical hound, and blood pumping machine) because it has taken the place of emotion, especially the emotion exhibited in literature. The first third of the novel makes the reader despise Mildred and ponder the complexity of Captain Beatty. The beginning is a great introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and shocks them with the oxymorons and paradoxes present throughout the book.
Aaron Hieneman
5th period
Mr.Parsons
3-18-09
1.)What do the "fireman" do for a living?
The fire men are the people who the opposite of what fire men do today they start fires to burn books so people can not have the right of independent thinking.
2.)In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
Because the birds like the phoenix are used to show that things and people no matter will be able to rise against a problem and that people can learn from there mistakes much like the people in the book.
3.)According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
Montag at the beginning of the book thinks that his job is pretty much the greatest thing in the whole world. He wishes that he could never stop doing his job he's just very much in love with it.
4.)Who does Montag meet on the way home?
Montag meets Clarisse McClellan a very young beautiful women that walks home with Montag and has a very wierd conversation.
5.)During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
That somethings that you will do shall never be forgotten and this is very symbolical because its saying watch what you do now because they could affect your future and even your life in some cases and once it happens then it would never be forgotten.
6 .)Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred?
Clarisse is really a more important character than Mildred because his wife is really a type of isolated person who dosnt talk very much or hardly do anything, while Clarisse has deep impact on Montag.
7.)Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
When Montag gets home he notices that his wife has over dosed on sleeping pills and is going to die if she dosn't get any help.
8.)Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
The unusual that because the men where really just 2 average joes who just happened to have the machine that they needed and the knew how to opperate them, the men themselves where not doctors at all.
9.)How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
Montag's house is really controlled all the time because since he is a firemen then everything he dose is being watch. While at Clarisses house is very independent and they talk about everything thats going on somethings that they would like to see happen so they are really independently minded people.
10.)How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
She awakes not knowing anything of what happened and the things that she done Montag tries to explain but she pays no attention to him and goes on like nothing ever happened.
11.)What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
Clarisse is catching rain drops in her mouth and she is very differnet from Mildred because she is really a free willed person who dosn't have a a care in the world. Mildred is more of a controlled person who is always following the rules making sure to not get into trouble while Clarisse could care less.
12.) What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
The mechanical hound is used for when ever the fire men go to start fires that if a person tries to run and escape from them that they will uses the hound to hunt them down and kill them.
13.)What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
The hounds reaction to Montag is that he hates him but the captin tells him that there is nothing to worry about because he's programmed to obey commands and that someone must be playing a joke on him or something.
14.) Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
Because she is more of a free minded person and to society that is frowned upon because it is really against the law and so no one wants to have anything to do with her so when she gets in trouble they do not take the fall as well.
15.) At the next fire, what does Montag take?
Montag takes a book from this library that an old women had and he takes it home and puts it beneath his pillow and hides it away so he would not get into trouble for reading the book.
16.)On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
that Beatty has actually read books before and that he much smarter than what people give him credit for and also much about people and so he is a very important to watch out for.
17.)What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
Montag had noticed for the past several days that Clarisse had not been around and do he become very suspicious and asks Mildred if she knew of what had happened and she said that she had been hit by a car and the family was so struck by it that they moved. Mildred then goes on to say that she had it coming to her which I myself felt as cruel and see Mildred as a cold lifeless person.
18.) Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.
The first was that people are just for pleasure. Secound is that people are constantly moving and never stop to live a peaceful in a place. Lastly is that ignorance is bliss.
19.)Write a 100 word response in which you ponder your thoughts on the first third of the book.
Wow is all I have to say to the first part of the book. It has really reminded me of 1984 in some ways but I believe that I like this book better than 1984. Montag is truely just a average joe in the world until one day he meets Clarisse. Everything then just seems to change for him and with all of the new changes really open his eyes to what the world he really lives in is. For all of its worth the book is very entertaining and always keeps me turning to the next page for answers the mysterious quiestion though I have right now is what really happened to Clarisse and her family. The Hound raises alot of questions to even though its used to hunt down people who try to escape the firemen and I think that was a very good twist to throw in because it was some thing that i wasn't expecting. In the end I can't wait to find out more about this book because it is really amazing.
English
Tony Evenson
1st period
Pre-reading Questions-
1. Ray Bradbury is considered a great American writer, not only because of his novels, but also because of his other writings, such as his short stories, poetry, playwrights, essays, and his screen wrights. He educated himself and was also a hard worker. Needing to work to earn a living before his first successful story.
He had always had the ability to create and write a good idea, within a night sleep. He wrote Fahrenheit 451, which is counted as his most famous novel, ever since he wrote in 1953.
I didn’t know that he wrote poetry, or even playwrights. In August of 2000, he turned 80 years old and said this quote,
“The great fun in my life has been getting up every morning and rushing to the typewriter because some new idea has hit me. The feeling I have everyday is very much the same as it was when I was twelve. In any event, here I am, eighty years old, feeling no different, full of great sense of joy, and glad for the long life that has been allowed me. I have good plans for the next ten or twenty years, and I hope you’ll come along.” Even at his age he’s at now, he still holds great wisdom.
2. Ray Bradbury is a great writer, no doubt about that. He writes his books with that fact that you don’t know what to expect, for example, when reading “All Summer in a Day”, I was expecting that it would be a cornball of a story, but the story was put on Venus. It started with two people talking about something that you don’t know in order to draw you in, and keeps your attention.
I think that he’s capable of doing anything, leaving you stuck on a part tat he gets back to later in a story while he continues on another part, then it all comes together and makes sense. Deceiving your thoughts about what is really going to happen, and sending your head into a spiral. Confusing you in order to make sense.
I know he’s a great author, but reading his writings can only make your opinions. His wisdom is great, and he’s always throwing in stuff that seems to make no sense, until you actually think about it. (Philosophy)
Reading Questions Part 1-
1. What do the “fireman” do for a living?
Firemen are people, who instead of putting out fires, they start them, burning books which have been forbidden by the government, who know that books bring knowledge and knowledge is power. In consequence to owning books, the owner not only has their books burned, but all of their possessions they own.
2. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
Montag was experiencing the human instinct to kill. The thrill of burning is in everybody, and the books were considered bad because they have the ability to set somebody free.
3. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
He thinks that it is a pleasure. He thinks that it is pleasurable to see the books burned, to see them changed. From one form to another.
4. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
Clarisse, his new neighbor. Montag asked how old she was, she replied ‘seventeen and insane.’ Montag doesn’t realize until later that he likes her personality, but he thinks that she is annoying, but still listens to her, while most would ignore or yell at her.
5. During his conversation, Montag says that “You never wash it off completely” referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
He’s referring to the work he does. She thinks that it is a bad thing they’re doing, but he doesn’t seem to think the same, or does he? The part of the sentence means that even though you do something good to cover up something bad, that bad thing is still there, will always be there.
This can be associated with saying ‘I hate you’ and then trying to make up by saying ‘I love you.’
6. Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag’s wife, Mildred?
Because Mildred is his wife, a person who he was thinking that he actually didn’t love, Clarisse is a person that is abnormal from the rest of the world. She is full of curiosity and is a person that always claimed to be somebody she really isn’t.
7. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
She had taken to many pills that were supposed to because of her memory problems. She was in fact forgetting that she took them, and then before she realized it, she had passed out on the bed, managing to poison herself.
8. Describe the help that she receives. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it unusual?
Two men with a briefcase comes into the room, sending a ‘snakelike’ tube down her throat to pump out the black liquid from her stomach, while at the same time, the same machine was cleaning her blood.
Both men weren’t the people Montag had expected. They weren’t medical doctors, they weren’t dressed like them, and so it was thought that they didn’t know what they were doing.
9. How is life in Montag’s house very different from that of Clarisse’s house?
The family is relaxed with one another; they sit outside and laugh about things that Montag doesn’t know about. The fact that they act differently than others seems to show that they truly love life for what it has to offer, instead of only what you want to see. They see the bad in people, and the good of them too.
10. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night’s experience?
Mildred wakes up but doesn’t remember anything; the fact that she can’t remember is the prime example of how it happened. She thinks that they had people over for a party or shindig, and got drunk, causing her to feel like she had a hangover.
11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
Clarisse is talking to Montag as he’s walking down the street. As they are talking, Clarisse tells Montag that he is more different from the other firemen. He even knows it, but doesn’t know how.
Clarisse differs from Mildred in many ways. Clarisse is independent, a thinker that wants to know why and not how. Wonders and doesn’t allow others to control her. Personality wise, she’s wise but immature. She shows interest in people, just by wanting to talk to them, whether they talk to her back is irrelevant. She’s a laid-back sort of person that manages to talk to Montag, and get a response, more than a ‘get away from me’, or just the feeling of talking to a piece of grass.
Mildred is in her thirties, she’s having problems with her memory due to something, she doesn’t think for herself and this could be the cause of her memory loss. She became just another drone in the world.
12. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
An eight legged machine that is meant to hunt down things which it then injects a substance which paralysis the
13.What is the hound’s reaction to Montag?
Montag believed that the mechanical hound didn’t like because of the fact that the dog got up, ‘growled’ at him and showed it needle at him.
14. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social”?
She doesn’t ‘mix’ wit others. The fact that the people go to school only to be given the answers seems to be stupid, she talks to people that listens, that’s her type of being social. She’s considered anti-social because she wants to have to think about things instead of going to a place where you can’t talk.
15. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
A book that he had taken without the others knowing about.
16. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
That he knew what the girl was saying/ chanting/ repeating. She had memorized it and so Beatty knew what she was saying.
“Play the man Master Riley. We all shall this day light such a candle, by God’s Grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”
17. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
Four days after Montag had noticed that Clarisse was missing, Mildred had told him that she had been hit with a car that day. Mildred couldn’t remember how but that she was hit by a car.
1.Guy Montag is the main character in the book. His job as a fireman was to burn books. He was the one in charge. Fireman in this futuristic world burned books.
2.In the beginning he compared books to birds. It can be due to once paper burns to ashes they fly away into the air like the birds.
3.He likes his job. It seems like he believes in his head that he is somewhat a hero. He thinks he is great and is in charge of the burning. It was the dominant thing in his life.
4.He meets the new neighbor Clarisse McClellan. She was very unusual and had facts of today in the futuristic world. She explained herself in the book as, “seventeen and crazy.”
5.The kerosene was like perfume to him. The reason he could never wash it off because it dominated his life. The job was his whole world next to his wife.
6.I think he introduced her because she is a big part in Montag’s life and in the story.
7.Mildred took too many sleeping pills.
8.Mildred had a precedure where her stomach was pumped as the second replaced her blood. It is unusual that the two men were badly mannered and were not even doctors.
9.Montag’s house is soft and gloomy like a dark cloud arose over them with no happiness or warmth of joy and activity that Clarisse’s house had contained. Montag is lonely as Clarisse has a family.
10.Mildred acts as if she had no former knowledge of the sleeping pills suicide attempt. She wakes up hungry and goes to the kitchen like the night before never happened.
11.She is in the rain when Montag sees her. She is different from Mildred in her personality and her whole way of living is opposite of Montag’s. They are full of happiness as Mildred is more gloomy.
12.The mechanical hound was a robot dog. That was used in the events of tracking things.
13.The robot dog did not like Montag. The dog began to growl for petting his muzzle and acted like he was going to attack.
14.She is anti-social for she doesn’t mix in with other people. She is more of the outcast in a way.
15.In the next fire he grabs a book out of the fire. He keeps it and takes it home and hides it under his pillow.
16.Beatty reveals he knows things, knowledge, in the things he is setting on fire and burning. That he is full of bits and pieces of books. “ I’m full of bits and pieces.”
17.Mildred told Montag that Clarisse was hit by a car and had died.
18.One is the world is becoming technologically advanced. Two is that not everyone is born free and equal but made equal. Third is people are just for pleasure.
19. The thoughts on the first third of the book are that interesting. When you read the book and compare the present to the future it is quite real in the words that they speak. It is sometimes scary to think the world in the future of this book as the world could be today. It seems stuff Clarisse said at the beginning of the book, like in the book the billboards were two thousand feet long due to people driving so fast they didn’t see them, could come true in this day and age we live. This part of the book was good and contained great truths about are world.
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