Reading Questions Packet: Fahrenheit 451 Name: Hour: Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander 1. What does Guy Montag do for a living? What is unusual about this job? How does he feel about his job at the beginning of the novel? 2. Who is Clarisse McClellan? Describe her briefly. 3. How is Clarisse unusual? How does Montag react to her? What does this show about the society they live in? 4. How does Montag s wife sleep? What does this show about her and Montag? 5. How do the emergency response people react to Mildred s overdose? What does this show about the society she lives in? 6. How does Mildred react to the news that she overdosed? Why might she have done it, and why might she be reacting this way? 7. How does Mildred spend her day? 8. How are Montag s conversations with Clarisse changing him? Why? 9. What is the Mechanical Hound? Describe it briefly. What is its purpose? Why might it not like Montag? 10. Considering that Fahrenheit 451 is meant to be a possible future of American society, consider how history has been rewritten in this future society. How have they changed their history? How might this affect the way people think when they are taught this changed version of history? 11. Summarize the events on pages 39-43. Why does this event have such an impact on Montag? Why might he have taken the book? Why might the woman have chosen to stay in the house? What is your reaction to this event? 12. Describe the family that Mildred watches every day. How does this compare to TV shows today? 13. What kind of relationship do Montag and Mildred have? List three things that show this. 14. Why is Montag so afraid of facing Captain Beatty or calling in sick? Why is he thinking of quitting his job? 15. Summarize Captain Beatty s explanation of the history of the firemen. What is his explanation of why books had to be burned? 16. What is the main reason this future society is the way it is? What about today s society shows this trend? 17. What has most likely happened to Clarisse, and why? 18. How does this society keep everyone happy? Do you think this works? Why or why not? 19. What has been hidden in the ventilator grille? What does this show us about Montag? Why does he show them to his wife? 20. How has Montag changed since the beginning of the book? What has changed him? Why? Reading Dates Hardcover Pages Paperback Pages Discussion/Assignment Dates to Read to Read 10/20-10/22 7-44 1-28 Discuss on 10/23 10/23-10/26 44-72 38-65 Discuss Part I on 10/27; turn in Part I packet answers 10/27-11/1 73-113 67-106 Discuss Part II on 11/2; turn in Part II packet answers 11/2-11/15 115-167 107-158 Discuss Part III on 11/16; turn in Part III packet answers All handouts due 11/23; Review on 11/30; Test on 12/1 1
Part II: The Sieve and the Sand Reading Questions Packet: Fahrenheit 451 21. Why can t Mildred get into reading? What does she need in order to get into something? What does this show about her? 22. What is America s war history since 1990 in the novel? What clues point toward problems with foreign nations? What does Montag think might be creating these problems? 23. Who is Faber? What was important about their meeting? Why might Faber have given Montag his address? 24. What problem does Montag face regarding Beatty and the books? Why is this such a difficult situation/decision? 25. Why did Montag ask Mildred if the White Clown or the family love her? 26. Montag remembers a childhood incident with a sieve and sand. Why would he remember this now? How does that situation relate to the situation he is in now (symbolism)? 27. Why does Faber call himself a coward? 28. What does Montag mean when he says We have everything we need to be happy, but we re not happy? 29. Summarize Faber s explanation of what society is missing. Is it the books themselves? Why or why not? 30. What, according to Faber, is so special about books (there are at least three things, and actually a fourth as well)? 31. Why won t it be easy to make changes in the society, according to Faber? 32. Why does Montag start to rip the Bible? What does he hope to accomplish? 33. What is the purpose of the little ear radio Faber gives Montag? 34. Mildred has two friends come over. What kind of relationship do they have? 35. In the scene with the three women, we learn more about what TV shows are like. Describe them further. What does it show/confirm about society? 36. In Montag s conversation with the three women, we learn more about social attitudes towards certain things. Summarize the attitude towards: (1) war, (2) marriage, (3) children, and (4) politics 37. Why does Montag bring out the book of poetry? 38. Why do you think Mrs. Phelps cries when she hears the poem? 39. Why is Montag so shaken by his experience with the women? How does Faber help him get through it? 40. It seems that Beatty knows quite a bit of literature. Why does his quoting from books confuse Montag so much? How does Beatty use literature to prove that literature is worthless? Do you agree with his argument? Why or why not? 41. What clues were given along the way that foreshadowed the end of Part II? 2
Reading Questions Packet: Fahrenheit 451 Part III: Burning Bright 42. Who most likely turned in Montag and why? Who actually did turn him in? 43. What does Beatty mean when he says [Fire] is a mystery.its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences (117)? How has this been true in this novel? 44. Why does Beatty insist that Montag burn his own house? 45. What do you think Montag means when he says We never burned right (121)? 46. Why does Montag turn the flamethrower on Beatty? Did Beatty think he would do it? Why or why not? Why would the other firemen not respond? 47. What symbolism lies in the burning of Beatty, the firemen, and the Mechanical Hound? 48. Why does Montag believe that Beatty wanted to die? Why would this be so? 49. What does Montag overhear as he s cleaning up in the gas station washroom? 50. What is significant about the incident with the car that chases Montag? What further insight does it give into this society? How does it fit in with the rest of the novel in this way? 51. What does Montag do to Mr. and Mrs. Black? Why? 52. How has dealing with Montag changed Faber? 53. How does the police chase compare with present day chases? What about the involvement of everyone on Elm Street (140)? From your knowledge of how people in this society are, what do you think is their reaction to this situation? 54. On the bottom of page 142 and the top of page 143, Montag realizes why he must never burn again in his life (142). What does his idea about the sun and Time mean? Why does it mean he must never burn again? 55. Why is Montag so frightened by the shore and the area the river has swept him to? 56. Montag is overwhelmed by his senses as he steps from the river. What might be causing this? 57. What is important about the railroad track that Montag discovers? 58. What is the difference between the small fire Montag sees and the ones he has known before? What is important about this difference? 59. List the people Montag meets in the woods. Why were they waiting for him? 60. What does Granger mean when he tells Montag that If anything should happen to Harris, you are the Book of Ecclesiastes. See how important you ve become in the last minute! (153)? 61. On page 153, Granger re-introduces the men around the fire using names of authors and titles of books. What does he mean? Why is this important? 62. What kind of resistance movement are these men part of? How do they go about their work of rebellion? 63. What is meant when one of the men tells Montag Don t judge a book by its cover (157)? What was he looking for? How is this statement ironic? 64. Granger says that Everyone must leave something behind when he dies (158). Why is Montag unable to truly grieve for Mildred? 65. How long did the war last? How does it end? 66. Describe how Montag imagines Mildred dying. Do you think she (and the other people in the city) faced the reality of who and what she was as she died? Why or why not? 67. How is society like a phoenix in Fahrenheit 451? In real life? 68. What does Granger say will save humankind in the end? Do you agree? Why or why not? 69. As the novel concludes, Montag remembers words from the Book of Revelations (from the Bible). What is important about these words? What do they offer as the feeling/idea/mood for the end of the book? 70. Do you think America could become like the America in Fahrenheit 451? Why or why not? What can be done to keep us from becoming like this? 3
Group Discussion Questions 1. Why would society make "being a pedestrian" a crime? 2. One suicide and one near-suicide occur in this book. One woman, who shuns books but loves TV and driving fast in her car, anesthetizes herself,; "We get these cases nine or ten a night," says the medical technician. Another woman, who cherishes her books, sets herself on fire with them; "These fanatics always try suicide," says the fire captain. Why would two people who seem to be so different from each other try to take their own lives? Why does suicide happen so frequently in Montag's society? 3. Captain Beatty quotes history, scripture, poetry, philosophy. He is obviously a well-read man. Why hasn't he been punished? And why does he view the books he's read with such contempt? 4. Beatty tells Montag that firemen are "custodians of peace of mind" and that they stand against "those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought." How well are the firemen accomplishing these objectives? Are conflicting ideas the only source of unhappiness in their society? What other sources might there be? Can conflicting ideas exist even without books that have been destroyed and outlawed? 5. Why do you think the firemen's rulebook credited Benjamin Franklin-- writer, publisher, political leader, inventor, ambassador--as being the first fireman? 6. Why does Beatty program the Hound to track Montag even before Montag stole the book? Do you believe Beatty had seen him steal books before? Or is it that Beatty had detected a change in Montag's attitude or behavior? Cite incidents in the book that support your answer. 7. Montag turns to books to rescue him; instead they help demolish his life -- he loses his wife, job and home; he kills a man and is forced to be a nomad. Does he gain any benefits from books? If so, what are they? 8. Do you believe, as Montag did, that Beatty wanted to die? If so, why do you think so? 9. Once Montag becomes a violent revolutionary, why does the government purposely capture an innocent man in his place instead of tracking down the real Montag? Might the government believe that Montag is no longer a threat? 10. Granger, spokesperson for the group on the railroad tracks, tells Montag, "Right now we have a horrible job; we're waiting for the war to begin and, as quickly, end...when the war's over, perhaps we can be of some use in the world." Based on what you've read of the world these men live in, do you believe that the books they carry inside themselves will make a difference? Might this difference be positive or negative? Point out episodes in Fahrenheit to support your response. 11. What does Granger mean when he says, "We're going to go build a mirror factory first and put out nothing but mirrors for the next year and take a long time to look at them?" Why would "mirrors" be important in this new society? (Note: In Part 1, Clarisse is said to be "like a mirror.") 12. Although Ray Bradbury's work is often referred to as science fiction, Fahrenheit has plenty to say about the world as it is, and not as it could be. As you review the book, list examples of the themes mentioned below, as well as others you notice. Discuss how you feel about the stands the author or characters take in Fahrenheit. conformity vs. individuality freedom of speech and the consequences of losing it the importance of remembering and understanding history machines as helpers to humans, machines as hindrances or enemies 4
PREDICTION TABLE In the following table, fill in the information regarding what Bradbury s predictions are in Fahrenheit 451 for each technological or social development, and then explain how the prediction has come true, almost true, or has not come true in today s society. Continue to keep track of this information as you read the novel, and fill in any you find that are not in the table in the blank rows provided. Topic Bradbury s Prediction Today s Society TV (technology) TV (shows/advertisements) Radio Transportation School/Education Funerals House security Attitudes towards reading 5
Attitudes towards being different Attitudes towards emotion Attitudes towards discrimination War Marriage Friendship News 6