Fahrenheit 451

The purpose! Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a type of DYSTOPIC novel. That means it is about a future that is bleak, dark and dreary. The novel focuses on two central themes: 1. CENSORSHIP 2. IGNORANCE OF KNOWLEDGE

The beeps in your life… CENSORSHIP: is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a censor.  Why would something be censored?  What are the dangers of censorship?

Historical Context World War II had ended only a few years before Era of McCarthyism Threat of nuclear warfare loomed Many Sci-Fi books and movies reflected this fear

Historical Context Explained Fear of robots and other technology was prevalent in the 1950s (“mad scientist” movies compounded such fear by portraying machines that turned on their creator). Mentality of hard work and following orders to get ahead was prevalent at this time. Atmosphere of fear and repression left over from WWII, development (and use) of atomic bomb, communist scare, the Cold War, and McCarthy made it possible for government or any other powerful group to manipulate public opinion.

Book Burning Adolf Hitler in Germany and Josef Stalin in the Soviet Union had used book-burning demonstrations to rally supporters and intimidate those with opposing views. Authors had been suppressed through state-directed writers' organizations. Persistent writers with challenging views were thrown into jails or exiled.

Nazi Book Burning

SATIRE Satire: The use of irony/sarcasm/ridicule to criticize faults Some societal faults Bradbury satirizes in F451: – Technology – Mass media – Organized sports – High-speed automobiles

Dystopia Dystopia: an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from oppression and/or terror. Hunger Games 1984 Divergent Animal Farm

Predict or Prevent? Bradbury claimed he was trying to “prevent the future”. He did foresee many future developments: – Walkmans, earbuds, big- screen and interactive t.v., rise in violence, growing illiteracy, condensation of info into “sound bites” Bradbury claimed he was trying to “prevent the future”. He did foresee many future developments: – Walkmans, earbuds, big- screen and interactive t.v., rise in violence, growing illiteracy, condensation of info into “sound bites”

Settings Historical Setting Physical Setting Social Setting

Themes To Watch For Individual self- expression is important. Violence is self- destructive. Mindless pleasure seeking and materialism make for an empty life. Humanity should preserve and value the culture of the past.

More Themes Humanity has the ability to be reborn or revived. In the wrong hands, modern technology can be dangerous. Commercialism can erode spiritual values. People lose their humanity when not able to communicate and interact with each other on a personal level.

Symbols To Investigate Fire Burning Water The salamander The Mechanical Hound The names Parlor Walls Titles of each section

Names Guy Montag – Guy Fawkes? – Name of a paper company Clarisse – Form of Clara, from the Latin for “bright” – Clarisse is often associated with a brightness different from that of a fire Faber – Name of a pencil company Guy Montag – Guy Fawkes? – Name of a paper company Clarisse – Form of Clara, from the Latin for “bright” – Clarisse is often associated with a brightness different from that of a fire Faber – Name of a pencil company

Fire Imagery Many cultures have gods associated with fire – Egyptian goddess Sekhet Many myths try to explain the origin – Greek myth about Prometheus stealing fire from the gods Scientists used to believe all matter was made of the 4 elements: fire, earth, water, & air

Symbols The numbers 451: the temperature at which paper will burn The mechanical hound: symbolizes destructive technology that is not easily destroyed. Demonstrates why people are better than machines to Bradbury

Symbols The salamander: represents the destructive forces of fire. Mythological lizard born from the fire. Name of the fire trucks that carry kerosene not water. The phoenix: in this myth, fire is a source of renewal/rebirth. Contrast to the salamander.

Your turn What might the parlor walls represent?

Connections Ben Franklin helped organize America’s first fire company and founded its first circulating library. Franklin was also a writer and printer who believed in free speech and press. Ben Franklin helped organize America’s first fire company and founded its first circulating library. Franklin was also a writer and printer who believed in free speech and press.

Connections Authors mentioned by Montag: Thomas Jefferson Henry David Thoreau: author of famous essay on civil disobedience, and Walden.

Connections Texts: The Bible: – Montag attempts to read a portion of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount that criticizes materialism. – Another character reads to Montag from the Book of Job, about a man whose faith is tested by a series of great calamities. – The Bible has often been a target of censorship. – When the New Testament was 1st transalted into English by William Tyndale, copies were seized and burned. (He was also burned at the stake as a heretic.)

Connections Beatty’s Quotes and Paraphrases: Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice – “Truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long.” – “He doth nothing but talk of his horse.” – “The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”

Connections “Old Montag wanted to fly near the Sun and... he's burned his wings” – Daedalus and Icarus

Connection to Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”

Plato’s cave Prisoners are there since childhood; it is all they know They can only see shadows, and the images are “real” to them The people are chained, they cannot leave or move Fire is a source of light behind them, it casts the shadows Prisoners are there since childhood; it is all they know They can only see shadows, and the images are “real” to them The people are chained, they cannot leave or move Fire is a source of light behind them, it casts the shadows

Montag’s cave His grandfather and father were firemen, it is expected of him. His world of burning is all he knows What are his chains? Mildred, Beatty, and the media try to hold him back Fire is at 1st a source of pleasure and destruction. It casts the shadows of Montag’s “happiness.” His grandfather and father were firemen, it is expected of him. His world of burning is all he knows What are his chains? Mildred, Beatty, and the media try to hold him back Fire is at 1st a source of pleasure and destruction. It casts the shadows of Montag’s “happiness.”

If a prisoner is released… He will have an instructor to guide him. Other prisoners will think he is crazy, and want to harm him.

When Montag is released… He has Clarisse and Faber to guide him. Mildred and Beatty think he is crazy, and want to harm him.

Other important similarities Plato refers to the intense confusion of the released prisoner Plato mentions the use of reflection when the prisoner is outside the cave. He will see himself and objects first through reflection, then he can see the true realities. Montag spends most of the novel in a state of confusion Bradbury mentions mirrors often as a symbol. Clarisse reflects Montag’s reality, then Granger says they will build a mirror factory to rebuild society. Montag spends most of the novel in a state of confusion Bradbury mentions mirrors often as a symbol. Clarisse reflects Montag’s reality, then Granger says they will build a mirror factory to rebuild society.

What is real? Plato says reality is that we are prisoners, and we must seek enlightenment through searching. We should not believe our eyes or the physical world, because they can be wrong. What does Bradbury say? What is his message or theme about reality?

Literary Devices Review! “I Remember the newspaper dying like huge moths.” Montag discovers that the house he is about to burn is his own. “Denham’s Dandy Dental Detergent, Denham’s Dentifrice…” Job of firemen in Montag’s society

How relevant is Farenheit 451’s society to current society?