Thurs. 9/19/13 Day 4- E.Q. Focus: Implications & Consequences F451 DAY4/ LESSON 4 FOCUS- Characters: Protagonist & Foil AC: What is a foil? Who is the foil in F451? Listen to Beatty’s speech (read by R. Bradbury via YouTube) or Reread Captain Beatty’s monologue (pp. 57–59). Discuss his view that school cultivates anti-intellectual sentiment (p. 58). Do students think it accurately depicts their school? Do books violate the idea that “everyone is made equal” (p. 58)? ASLE: Discuss Bloom’s Taxonomy Questioning Strategy- Beatty’s Speech Home Enrichment (HE) Assignment IEI: Group activity- Who is the foil? HE: Finish Part Two (pp. 91–110). Students will write one page explaining why Bradbury chose either “The Hearth and the Salamander” or “The Sieve and the Sand” as a section title. In their essays, students should explain what this title means.

Who is the foil? Foil Definition: The term ‘foil’ refers to a literary device where the author creates a character whose primary purpose is to create a contrast to another character by laying emphasis or drawing attention to the latter’s traits and characteristics through the former’s obviously contradictory ones.

F-451 Foil : GROUP ACTIVITY Divide into groups to examine the role of foils in the novel. Each group will focus on a character: Mildred, Clarisse, Faber, or Beatty. Students will review the first ninety-one pages of the novel and look for occasions when your character brings out dramatic responses from Montag . How does the character lead Montag toward self-realization? How does Montag’s relationship to the character change? Students will present their conclusions to the class, using specific textual support.

The central character in a work of literature is called the protagonist. The protagonist usually initiates the main action of the story and often overcomes a flaw, such as weakness or ignorance, to achieve a new understanding by the work’s end. A protagonist who acts with great honor or courage may be called a hero. An antihero is a protagonist lacking these qualities. Instead of being dignified, brave, idealistic, or purposeful, the antihero may be cowardly, self-interested, or weak. The protagonist’s journey is enriched by encounters with characters who hold differing beliefs. One such character type, a foil, has traits that contrast with the protagonist’s and highlight important features of the main character’s personality. The most important foil, the antagonist, opposes the protagonist, barring or complicating his or her success. Captain Beatty, the fire chief, is a key foil and a historian of sorts. While Montag once followed Beatty’s values, he now resists Beatty’s commitment to burning books. Meanwhile, Faber represents a musty, academic link to the past. Clarisse McClellan, a teenager, longs for the romantic days of front porches and rocking chairs, complaining, “we never ask questions.” Mildred, the model citizen, attempts suicide while living in a world enchanted by television.