What if All Books Were Banned? In a futuristic American society, firemen are responsible for starting fires rather than putting them out, and books are their favorite targets. When fireman Guy Montag, begins to question his work, and begins to find value in literature, how will society react? What can Guy s experiences teach us about censorship, and the value of free thought? Be a Better Reader As you work through the study guide for Fahrenheit 451, you ll also practice these skills, which will help you when you read novels in the future, for school assignments or just for fun. 1. Describe how characters in a novel are developed. 2. Describe the plot development and structure of a novel. 3. Describe and analyze the role of setting in a novel. 4. Identify and analyze the themes in a novel. 5. Identify and analyze an author s purpose and perspective. 6. Explain how historical context affects readers understanding and appreciation of a novel. Behind the Scenes During the Second World War, Nazis made a mission of burning Jewish books to eradicate an entire culture s history, and to control what the rest of society could read and learn. When American author Ray Bradbury published Fahrenheit 451 in 1953, the devastating cultural effects of Nazi censorship in Europe were still fresh in his mind. To help Americans understand the dangers of government censorship, Bradbury created a futuristic world in which individuals blindly follow government ordinances, and terrible punishment awaits those who speak against the totalitarian control. While it s clear that Fahrenheit 451 sends a strong message about the dangers of censorship, Bradbury claims that his actual mission in publishing this novel was to discuss how media like television and radio destroys our interest in reading literature. In the novel, most characters lives revolve around watching television programs on wall-sized screens, and listing to the radio through small sets attached to their ears. The novel remains relevant in today s society as the messages could also relate to the amount of time spent on the Internet or playing video games. Through a science-fiction world, Bradbury forces readers to question how media controls our lives, and the risk it poses to culture.
The Plot As Guy Montag makes the journey from apathetic fireman to impassioned reader, many shocking events shape his decision to rebel against government control. Which events do you think had the most impact on Guy, from the time when first begins to question his work, to joining the Book People? As you read Fahrenheit, fill in the boxes for each element of the novel s plot.
The Characters In Fahrenheit 451, society is divided between those brave enough to challenge authority, and those who blindly follow government control. Use the space below to help you keep all the characters straight. In the second column, write or type the character traits demonstrated by each character. If the character s name has an asterisk (*) beside it, include a direct quote from the book as evidence to support your description of that character. Character Character Traits Direct Quote *Guy Montag Questioning, Brave *Mildred Montag Apathetic, Mindless *Captain Beatty Intelligent, Controlling *Professor Faber *Clarisee McClellan Granger Mrs. Phelps Mrs. Bowles Stoneman Black
The Setting Even though Fahrenheit 451 was published in the 1950 s, it made startling predictions for what futuristic society would look like. Today, many of Bradbury s predictions have come true in our modern society, which is one of the main reasons why the message of the novel is still relevant. Use the spaces below to describe the setting for Ray Bradbury s futuristic society. In the first column, type or write direct quotes from the novel phrases and sentences that are used to show what it s like in society throughout the story. In the second column, explain in your own words the parallels you can find in modern-day society. Remember, these details might be physical (technology and architecture), cultural (the way people interact with each other and the world around them), or societal (government structures and regulations). Direct Quote Related to Setting Modern Parallels
Tracking Themes What is Ray Bradbury trying to say about the loss of interest in literature through Guy Montag s educational journey? The main themes in Fahrenheit 451 are related to media and government censorship. See if you can identify and analyze those themes. Step 1: What parts of the plot seem related to a possible theme in the novel? (Think about the main conflict and how it get resolved or worked out.) Step 2: Which characters seem related to a possible theme? Which characters change, and what do those changes suggest about media influence and censorship? Step 3: How does Ray Bradbury use symbols to hint at the novel s themes? What objects, people, or places stand for something bigger in the story? Step 4: What does the novel s title suggest about the novel s theme? Why do you think Steinbeck named his novel Fahrenheit 451? Step 5: Write about one or two of the novel s main themes in your own words.
Talk About It What do you think about Bradbury s futuristic novel? Does it make you question your own relationship with media? In the space below each question, write an answer based on your own experiences and your own understanding of the plot. Include some textual evidence or examples that helped you arrive at your answer. 1. Although it often seems like Guy Montag is working alone in his quest for knowledge, a great many characters influence and aid his mission. What roles do Clarisse, the Old Woman, Professor Faber, and Captain Beatty play in reeducating Guy Montag? What does this tell you about the way society and education work? Textual Evidence: 2. Fahrenheit 451 is divided into three sections: The Hearth and the Salamander, The Sieve and the Sand, and Burning Bright. Explain why the titles of these sections are significant, both in the action and themes of the novel. Why do you think Bradbury chose to entitle the sections this way? Textual Evidence:
Represent! Show what you know about Fahrenheit 451 and its relevance to life in the 21 st century. Choose one of these projects to complete and share with your teacher, classmates, and others. Choice 1: The Art of Propaganda You can find a fan club for just about anything. The Fahrenheit 451-ers (a literature fan group in your area) prove the point they are united by their love for Fahrenheit 451 and their belief that its message, while just as relevant today, is not getting out to the next generation. The Fahrenheit 451-ers want to present Bradbury s story in a way that appeals to today s busy students. As the 451-ers see it, you re a young person, you ve just ready Fahrenheit 451, and that makes you a perfect source of guidance for creating a hip new version of Bradbury s story. If you know how to use pictures to tell a story, you re even more suited for this task: to create a graphic or animated version of Fahrenheit for posting on the Internet as either a photo slide show or a video. Your visual version of Fahrenheit 451 can be simpler and shorter, but the novel s purpose and message should be just as clear in the slide show or video you create. The audience for your presentation will include teens assigned the novel who have decided not to read it as well as students who did read the book but didn t get the message Bradbury hoped to send. If you decide to draw a series of images that tell the story, deliver your scanned images in a compressed folder (such as a zip file) and name the files in a way that shows the order in which the images should appear. If you create an animation, instead, compress your video to make it less than 10 MB, and upload your video file. Choice 2: Spreading the Good Word Often, when people are faced with great tragedy, they use their experiences to motivate others and bring positive change in society. In the wake of the city bombing, imagine that Guy goes on a speaking tour to warn the new society of the dangers of censorship and media overload. Because you have just finished reading Fahrenheit 451, and have a deep understand of the novel s message, Guy has hired you to work as his speechwriter! For this project, write a five-minute speech for Guy to deliver at a town hall meeting, where the audience is modern-day teenagers who spend hours a day watching television, surfing the internet, and listening to the radio. The speech should summarize Guy s experiences, his warnings about censorship and media overload, and suggestions of how to educate oneself against these dangers. Ensure that the speech embraces the novel s themes and how others could learn from Guy s experiences. You may upload your speech as a Word document, or upload a video of yourself reading the speech aloud.