1. Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury

2. Ray Bradbury Born August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, IL
Began writing own stories by age 11
No formal writing education
Sold newspapers to make ends meet
Began writing science fiction for TV, movies and eventually novels
The Martian Chronicles (1950)
established him as a leading writer of science-fiction
Received many awards for writing

4. Birth of Fahrenheit 451
Wrote F451 on a pay-by-the-hour typewriter in basement of UCLA library
Wrote first draft in 9 days
Initially called The Fireman
Shaped similarly to George Orwell’s science-fiction (dystopia & dangerous future)
Published in 1953
Most popular and read work of fiction

5. Characters Guy Montag-fireman, main character
Mildred Montag-Guy’s depressed wife
Captain Beatty-Fireman captain
Professor Faber-Professor of English
Clarisse McClellan-17-year old societal outcast
Granger-leader of “Book People”
Mrs. Phelps & Mrs. Bowles-Mildred’s friends
Stoneman and Black-firemen

6. Themes Censorship Knowledge versus Ignorance
Books that are forbidden to be read for various reasons
Knowledge versus Ignorance
Firemen destroy knowledge to protect ignorance
Relationship between humanity and happiness
Without maintaining human nature, mankind struggles

7. Motifs Paradoxes Animal and Nature imagery Religion
Questioning the reality of beings
Animal and Nature imagery
Force of innocence and truth
Religion
Several biblical allusions that suggest how much people desire to have a sense of truth

8. Symbols Blood “The Hearth and the Salamander” “The Sieve and the Sand”
repressing human soul
“The Hearth and the Salamander”
the problem between the idea of a home and the job of the firemen
“The Sieve and the Sand”
Impossibility of grasping the truth
Phoenix
Rebirth after destruction
Mirrors
Self-understanding