Ray Bradbury
Novel Guide
Note
The text used to prepare this novel guide was published by Del Rey Books, an imprint of
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The Random House Publishing Group
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Fahrenheit 451 Novel Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Ray Bradbury's Classic, Study notes of History
In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, you journey to the 24th century to an overpopulated world in which the media controls the masses, censorship prevails over ...
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Ray Bradbury
Novel Guide
Note The text used to prepare this novel guide was published by Del Rey Books, an imprint of
brillig_carrot_bianca
The Random House Publishing Group
Table of Contents
Target on Text
- Overview Instructions
- How to Use This Guide
- Timeline
- Lesson Plan Details Before We Start
- Background
- Author Biography
- Book Summary
- Character List
- Synopsis
- Vocabulary Definition List
- Pre-Reading Questions
- Novel Road Map to Success
- Overall Grading Rubric
- Teaching Essentials Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander
- Activities
- Teaching Essentials Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand
- Activities
- Teaching Essentials Part Three: Burning Bright
- Activities
- Lesson Plan Details Reflect on Reading
- Discussion Questions
- Activities/Projects
- Pre-Reading Question Review
- Final Test
- Answer Key
Background... Just for YOU!
Author Biography
Ray Douglas Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1920. Because his mother was crazy about the movies, his parents gave him the middle name “Douglas” after the actor, Douglas Fairbanks.
Bradbury started writing when he was about ten years old using pieces of butcher paper. The family moved to Los Angeles when he was fourteen, and Bradbury met comedian George Burns, who was then a radio star. Burns gave Bradbury his first writing job when Bradbury contributed a joke to the Burns & Allen Show.
Bradbury did not pursue a formal education after he graduated from high school. However, he spent time in the library, and he continued to write. To make a living, he sold newspapers on Los Angeles street corners.
In 1940, Bradbury published his first story, “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma,” in an amateur fan magazine, Imagination! (In 1939, he published four issues of his own fan magazine, Futuria Fantasia , most of which he wrote.) Bradbury’s first paid publication was the short story “Pendulum” in Super Science Stories , 1941. Dozens of other stories in various publications like Weird Tales followed, culminating in his first short story collection, 1947’s Dark Carnival (later redone as The October Country ). In that same year on September 27, he married Marguerite (“Maggie”) McClure, whom he had met when she was a clerk in a book store. (Marguerite died on November 24, 2003.) They have four daughters—Susan, born 1949; Ramona, born 1951; Bettina, born 1955; and Alexandra, born 1958—and eight grandchildren.
Bradbury’s reputation as a major science-fiction writer was established when he published The Martian Chronicles in 1950. In 1953, he published his best-known novel, Fahrenheit 451 , expanded from his 1950 story, “The Fireman,” written for Galaxy magazine. The novel was also serialized in 1953 in Playboy. (Because he couldn’t afford an office, he composed the book on a rented typewriter in a university basement. He fed dimes into a timer, one every half-hour; the entire enterprise cost him $9.80.)
Bradbury—who counts among his life-long friends the special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen (stop-motion animator of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad , Jason and the Argonauts , and many other movies) and Forrest J. Ackerman, long-time editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine—has also written poems, dramas, and film scripts (most notably the 1956 Moby Dick , directed by John Huston and starring Gregory Peck). Ironically, considering Fahrenheit 451 ’s opinion about television, his stories have been frequently dramatized on TV on The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents , and Ray
Bradbury Theatre. The Martian Chronicles became a mini-series in 1980; Something Wicked This Way Comes became a disappointing feature film in 1983; and Fahrenheit 451 was famously, if not exactly faithfully, filmed in 1966 by famous French director François Truffaut (his only English-language picture), starring Julie Christie.
Bradbury has received the World Fantasy Award and Stoker Award for life achievement and the Science Fiction Writers Association Grand Master Award, and he is a Science Fiction Hall of Fame Living Inductee. On November 17, 2004, President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, presented Bradbury a National Medal of the Arts. In addition to his many literary prizes, Bradbury also has a couple of astronomical tributes: There is an asteroid named in his honor, (9766) Bradbury, and an Apollo astronaut named a moon crater “Dandelion Crater” after Bradbury’s novel, Dandelion Wine (which, ironically, is not a science fiction novel).
Bradbury suffered a stroke in 2001. He still lives in Los Angeles and writes daily.
Sources: http://www.spaceagecity.com/bradbury/bio.htm, http://www.raybradburyonline.com/biography.htm
Book Summary
Fahrenheit 451 is set in a futuristic American city at a time when reading books is prohibited in an attempt to make everyone “equal” and prevent uneasiness of mind. Technology that entertains and distracts its citizens from all things worrisome or disturbing fills homes, schools, and even subway trains. The citizens live well. In fact, they live better than those in the rest of the world, and they are despised by others in the world because they have so much excess. Consequently, conflicts have arisen. Two atomic wars have been fought and won since 1990, but these events go relatively unnoticed by the country’s zombie-like citizens.
Ironically, firemen (like the novel’s protagonist, Montag) are not public servants who put out fires, but storm troopers who burn caches of books. They are the censors, the “custodians of…peace of mind.” When Montag begins to question the status quo, when he starts to keep and read some of the books he’s supposed to burn, he soon finds himself at odds with the brave new world of which he is a part.
Background Fahrenheit 451 , like most futuristic science fiction novels, comments upon contemporary society. Very often, a writer will take some aspect of current society and extrapolate, imagining what would happen if that trend or behavior were taken to its farthest degree and then show us the (usually negative) consequences.
Bradbury’s book is in the tradition of other science fiction novels such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) and George Orwell’s 1984 (1949). Brave New World depicts a
Synopsis
This novel guide offers strategies for critical reading and literary analysis. It also offers suggestions for discussing and debating issues surrounding censorship and the importance of being a critical and individual thinker. Finally, it serves to reinforce ethical attitudes, reminding you that citizens of a democratic nation must fight to uphold ideals set forth in the Constitution.
Fahrenheit 451 , with Bradbury’s rich use of metaphorical and symbolic language, creates a literary experience that offers immediacy and stimulates discussion. You are likely to be drawn to the hero and his journey from blind participant in a suppressive society to aware individual in a sterile, thoughtless environment to rebel against the status quo and, finally, to welcomed outcast in a forest of free thinkers. Allusions in Fahrenheit 451 illustrate the dangers of censorship, suppression, and thoughtlessness and compel readers to compare knowledge of historical and literary works to the themes in the novel that have universal appeal and real-world connections. As recent and tragic events in the United States and around the world push censorship and free speech to the center of political debate, this 1953 first novel by Ray Bradbury reminds you of the importance of free thinking and the exchange of intelligent and informed ideas to protect the ideals of a democratic nation.
Before We Start Handout 2 Name
Date Hour
Vocabulary Definition List
The following list provides definitions for some of the more difficult words in the text.
Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander
stolid: calm and showing little emotion
minstrel man: an entertainer who performs songs, dances, and snappy patter with others, who are similarly made up
phoenix: a mythological bird that destroys itself in a fire and is born again from the ashes; a symbol of immortality
subconscious: concerning the part of the mind of which one is not fully aware, but which influences one’s actions
refracted: deflected a ray of light that entered water, air, or glass at an angle
marionette: a puppet worked by strings
mausoleum: building used to house a tomb or tombs
stratum: a layer of rock
melancholy: sadness, depression of the spirits; gloom
conjure: to call to the mind (as if by magic)
proboscis: an elongated sucking organ of an insect; a nose
olfactory: relating to the sense of smell
multi-faceted: of an eye: having a number of lens-like visual units
ballistics: the study of the flight characteristics of projectiles
trajectory: the path of an object moving under the action of given forces
shin: to climb quickly up or down by gripping with one’s arms and legs
proclivities: habitual tendencies to do something usually discreditable; inclinations or predispositions
odious: extremely unpleasant; repulsive
condemnation: severe reproof; strong censure
heresy: belief or opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted
ravenous: extremely hungry
stagnant: of water or air: motionless and often having an unpleasant smell
Before We Start Handout 3 Name
Date Hour
Target on Text
ow it’s time to start reading. Target on Text contains
a part-by-part progression of activities to enhance
your students’ understanding and enjoyment of
Fahrenheit 451. This guide divides the novel into three sections
of roughly the same length. Each section has individual part
summaries, target objectives, and a variety of activities to
highlight key story and literary elements.
While some of the activities are designed to be done individually,
working with peers provides students with the opportunity to
practice cooperation and creates richer results as the students
build on one another’s ideas.
N
Teaching Essentials... Just for YOU!
Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander
Part One Summary
Montag is a fireman whose job it is to burn books and houses. After a satisfying day at work, he sets off routinely for home on the subway. On the way home, he meets Clarisse McClellan, a peculiar teenager who is inquisitive and introspective. Despite Montag’s confidence, Clarisse’s questions and thoughtful silences rattle him into uneasiness. Like looking into a mirror, Montag sees himself (his expressions and thoughts) in Clarisse. Her question, “Are you happy?”, initiates Montag’s individual thinking. When Montag arrives home, his corpse-like wife, Mildred, has overdosed on sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Clarisse’s question eats at Montag, and he realizes that he is not happy.
Montag is now aware of the contrast between Clarisse and Mildred. Clarisse proclaims, despite his objections, that he is not in love. She asks him why he is a fireman and leaves him to consider his disillusions with life, love, and happiness.
At the firehouse it is clear that Montag differs from other firemen. Captain Beatty is their intelligent leader. Montag fears the Mechanical Hound, a new firehouse mascot.
Over the next week, Montag establishes a comfortable routine and continues to meet with Clarisse. Through her descriptions, Montag sees a new picture of society, one he hadn’t considered. Another week passes, and Clarisse disappears. With Clarisse gone, Montag begins thinking. He starts asking dangerous questions that arouse Beatty’s suspicion and prompt fellow firemen Stoneman and Black to consult the rule book about the history of firemen in America. Midway through the history lesson, the alarm sounds.
After a horrifying scene where an old woman chooses to die with her books, the firemen return to the station in silence. Beatty, the only one untouched by the event, reveals that he has knowledge of the content in books.
The events of the fire change Montag. Infected with “dis-ease,” he returns home with a stolen book. In bed, he cries. Montag feels unconnected to Millie, but his connection to Clarisse and the old woman has become real. Showing no concern for Montag’s feelings, Mildred off-handedly tells him that Clarisse is dead. As Montag swallows the news, the Mechanical Hound foreshadows events to come.
By morning, Montag’s “dis-ease” consumes him; he vomits at the smell of kerosene. Mildred’s only concern is that Montag goes to work. Montag is angry; he wants to smash things because he can’t articulate what is really bothering him. Montag reaches for a book and forces Millie to read with him.
Recognizing Irony
Irony is an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. As you review the opening scene with a critical eye, note some contradictions. In this activity, you examine irony and make predictions about the novel.
Directions: Read each phrase in the chart and think about the contradictions. To the right of each phrase, explain how it is opposite from what you expect.
Name
Date Hour
Part One Handout 1
“It was a pleasure to burn.”
“... this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world.. .”
“.. .the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.”
“... he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire.. .”
“He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house.”
“Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame.”
Example: Burning is an act causing destruction. It is ironic that one would find pleasure in destroying.
Character Analysis: Guy Montag as a
Changing Character
Writers use characterization to develop how the character looks, acts, and thinks. A dynamic character changes in the course of the novel. Oftentimes, authors create dynamic characters to reveal the effects of society on the character’s development as a human being. In this exercise, you define Montag’s initial stage of character development before he changes.
Directions: In the chart, write out Montag’s responses to Clarisse’s questions. Then, explain what each response reveals about his initial character.
Name
Date Hour
Part One Handout 2
Clarisse’s Question Montag’s Response What Is Revealed?
“Does [kerosene] seem like Example: “Of course. Why not?” Example: This reveals that [perfume], really?” he has never considered his comparison of the smell of kerosene to perfume as anything but normal.
- “How long’ve you worked at being a fireman?”
- “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”
- “Why are you laughing?”
- “Have you ever watched the jet cars racing on the boulevards down that way?”