1. Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury

2. Learning Goals and Objectives I am learning…
To understand biographical info about Ray Bradbury
To understand the historical context from which an author writes
The Cold War
McCarthyism
Communism
To understand the characteristics of the genre of science fiction and satire
To understand the effects of censorship

3. Ray Bradbury… Born in Waukegan, Illinois in 1922
By age 11 he was writing stories on butcher paper
Family moved a lot
Born in Illinoisgraduated from a high school in Los Angeles
Studied and wrote independently
Sold newspapers on street corners for $

4. Science Fiction Writing
Primarily known as a sci-fi writer
Science fiction writing: Form of fiction that draws imaginatively scientific knowledge and speculation in its plot, theme, setting, etc.
1950, The Martian Chronicles
Establishes Bradbury as leading sci-fi writer
1950—began writing what was to become Fahrenheit 451
Pay-by-the-hour typewriters at UCLA’s library

5. Context for writing the novel…
The Firemen
Shorter draft of the novel
Finished it in 9 days
George Orwell’s 1984
Written in 1949
Portrays horrors of a totalitarian gov’t
Dystopia: Shows the worst human society imaginable
Dawn of the nuclear age
Before the TV had become a fixture in the family home
Orwell’s vision of a post-atomic dictatorship where people were monitored ceaselessly by the “telescreen,” seemed terrifyingly possible

6. On the shoulders of giants: Other important works of the time
Alduous Huxley’s Brave New World
1932
Pitfalls using science, technology, politics
Prophesized major struggles in the 2nd half of the 20th century and continue into the 21st century
1933—Hitler came to power
1938—WWII
August 6, 1945—Atomic Bomb

7. Question: Knowledge
What impact did Huxley and Orwell have on Bradbury’s writing?
A.) no impact
B.) Bradbury recognized their fears and wanted to demonstrate dangers of a dystopia
C.) Bradbury wanted to also demonstrate the
horrors of a totalitarian gov’t
D.) both B and C

8. What is Satire? Genre of Sci-fi and SATIRE Definition:
Writing that exposes and ridicules the vices or follies of people or societies. (Making fun of serious things.)
Written in 1953 as a response to current controversies of the time…
Cold War/WWII
McCarthyism

9. What was the Cold War? Definition:
Ideological and economic struggle after WWII
Between what countries?
US and allies vs. Soviet Union and allies
How long did it last?
1947 all the way until December, 31, 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union

11. Why was it called the “Cold War?” Was it really a war?
NO…not a war
Arms race involving
Nuclear and conventional weapons (radioactive weapons, atomic bomb)
Networks of military alliances (who’s on my side?)
Economic warfare (capturing economic resources in order to deprive the enemy)

12. Cold War continued…
Trade embargos (prohibits trade with a country in order to place strain on that country’s internal government and makes economy suffer)
1973 Oil Crisis (Arab countries and US petroleum)
Propaganda
Espionage (“spy”)
Space Race
(artificial satellites, humans
into space, people on moon)
Sputnik, Oct. 4, 1957
Caught the West by surprise

13. Question: Comprehension
How would you summarize the Cold War?
A.) a real war b/w Soviet Union and US
B.) an arms race b/w Soviet Union and
US for conventional and nuclear weapons; space race; propaganda, etc.
C.) war where US and Soviet U. ganged up on England and took nuclear weapons
D.) none of the above

14. What is McCarthyism?
A period of intense anti-Communistic suspicion in the US.
Late 1940s to late 1950s
What is Communism?
Classless, stateless
social organization based on
common ownership of the
means of production.
Everyone had equal means.

15. Communism in the US? Senator Joseph McCarthy Targets:
People were accused of being communists
Communist sympathizers
Led to suppression of info and propagation of falsehood and fear—BOOK BURNING
Targets:
Gov’t employees
Entertainment business
Union activists
Educators! Teachers!

16. Question: Application
What would result if America was a communist country?

17. What does the Cold War and McCarthyism have to do with F451?
Both the Cold War and McCarthyism/ communism represented “the ideal”.
Ideal what?
Ideal societies
Ideal government
Ideal philosophies
Ideal social
F451 warns that control can come under the guise of fulfilling ideals…

19. Fahrenheit 451…What’s it all about?
Set in the future (unspecified time)
Government celebrates anti-intellectualism
What is “anti-intellectualism?”
Therefore—book burning!
***CENSORSHIP***
Why would the government and the citizens of a country ever condone book burning?
Knowledge=Power, Imagination, Cultural Heritage, History, Future, etc.

20. Question: Analysis
How are McCarthyism and the Cold War related to the society in Fahrenheit 451?

21. Book Burning in other societies…how did it effect them?
Hitler and Nazi Germany
1933—huge book burning in Germany
WHY?
Wanted to spread German nationalism
Opposed ideas/freedoms that certain books stood for
Red Guard of China
Group of Chinese students who gathered and burned books
Books that went against:
Social
Political
Religious
Ideological views

22. Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses
Controversial book which spawned heavy repercussions
Published in 1988
Upset Muslim community b/c they believed it contained blasphemous material about Muhammad
India was first country to ban the book
Supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah, called for the death of Rushdie

23. Salman Rushdie continued…
February 14, 1989 broadcasted following message on Iranian radio:
“I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses book, which is against Islam, the Prophet and Qur’an, and all those involved in its publication who are aware of its content are sentenced to death.”

24. Rushdie July 1991—Japanese translator stabbed to death
Same month—Italian translator injured but not killed
October 1993—Norwegian publisher survived attempted assassination in Oslo
FEBRUARY 14, 2006—Iranian state news agency reported that the fatwa would remain in place permanently.

25. What effect does book burning have on the society in F451?
Forces people to focus on materialism for fulfillment
Produces “mindless happiness”
A world where no one thinks for themselves
Essentially told what to think, what to do, how to act
Gov’t is a totalitarian one
The novel gives a strong warning about mistaking “mindless happiness and slavish social conformity” for ‘progress.’

26. The American Dream Turns into a nightmare
Superficially understood
Instead of freedom, success, truth, imagination and knowledge, we have the small-mindedness of the majority
Majority thought=THE BIG PROBLEM in Fahrenheit 451
Destroy knowledge; promote sameness and equalization

27. Elements of Fahrenheit 451
THEMES:
Censorship
Knowledge Vs. Ignorance