UNIT 9: Fahrenheit 451

1
UNIT 9Fahrenheit 451
P. 44
By Ray Bradbury

• Essential Questions
• How does the novel reflect themes related to
  technology, nature, censorship, propaganda,
  escapism and conformity?
• How do the cultural elements and themes in
  Fahrenheit connect to the philosophies of China?
• Does Bradburys prediction for the future reflect
  our present day American culture and if so, how?
• How does one effectively and strategically read a
  novel?
• How does one write about themes in literature?

2
Context of the novel

• Written in 1950
• Television becomes popular!!!
• 1950 9 of households had a TV
• 1955 64 had TV
• 1960 87 had TV
• 2011 (what do you think?)
• World War 11 1939-1945
• Helicopter invented 1939
• Bombing of Hiroshima August 6, 1945

3
Science Fiction (genre) fiction based on
imagined future, scientific or technological
advances, and major social or environmental
changes
TYPE ONE WRITING
P. 47

• Ray Bradbury saw the changes that were happening
  in the world and created fiction based on what he
  foreshadowed life might be like in the future.
  Pick among the problems below OR choose another,
  and hypothesize what life might be like 50 years
  from now if the problem were to become an
  epidemic (widespread). (8 lines double spaced)
• violence poverty drug use rise in gas prices
• unemployment terrorism/warfare global warming

4
Terms/devices to understand look for
P.49

• EPIPHANY a sudden realization
• PARADOX something that contradicts itself but is
  true
• SYMBOLISM an object that represents something
  else
• Title of Part 1 THE HEARTH AND THE SALAMANDER
• Title of Part 2 THE SIEVE AND THE SAND
• SIMILE AND METAPHOR comparisons of two unlike
  things
• Similes use like or as metaphors do not.

5
MAJOR CHARACTERS

1. 49

• GUY MONTAG protagonist, middle aged, fireman
• MILDRED (MILLIE) Montag's wife, self-absorbed, a
  typical specimen of their society
• CLARISSE 17 years old, lives next door to
  Montag, opposite of most in their society,
  Mildreds foil
• CAPTAIN BEATTY Captain of the fire company, one
  of the leaders in their society a paradox
• FABER A retired professor, helps Montag later
  in the novel
• GRANGER A thinker and a reader, lives on the
  edges of society

6
Biggest THEME (ARGUABLY)
P.48

• THE DUMBING OF SOCIETY AS A RESULT OF TECHNOLOGY
  
• dependance on technology rather than
  self-resourcefulness
• the shortening of attention spans
• the constant temptation to let others do our
  thinking for us

7
Additional THEMES

• Government control through technology
• Look for any place in the novel where the
  government is using technology to physically or
  mentally manipulate peoples thoughts and
  behaviors

8
THEMES

• Propaganda information which is false or which
  emphasizes just one part of a situation used by
  a government or political group to make people
  agree with them

9
THEMES

• Censorship the examining of books, films, mail,
  etc. to remove anything that is considered
  offensive, morally harmful, or politically
  dangerous, etc.

from Time/Life Magazine
10
THEMES

• Conformity behavior that obeys the accepted
  rules of a society or group, and is the same as
  that of most people

11
THEMES

• Escapism activities or entertainment that helps
  one forget about bad or boring things for a short
  time

12
THEMES

• Importance of/disregard for nature
• What does nature provide us with physically,
  mentally, spiritually?
• Look for any place in the novel where a character
  has a realization about nature.
• Look for anything in the novel that discusses
  people becoming detached or apathetic(not caring)
  about nature.

13
ESSAY PROMPT (academic)

• Using examples and at least THREE QUOTES from the
  novel, discuss HOW Ray Bradbury addresses the
  theme you have chosen throughout the novel.
• After discussing the theme in the book, discuss
  the theme in OUR MODERN WORLD using the article
  you read, and ONE QUOTE you have pulled from the
  ONLINE ARTICLE, as an example.
• In your CONCLUSION address the following Why
  does Bradbury think the theme could be
  problematic for society? Have we become that
  which Ray Bradbury feared?

14
ESSAY PROMPT (applied)

• Using examples and at least TWO QUOTES from the
  novel, discuss HOW Ray Bradbury addresses the
  theme you have chosen throughout the novel.
• After discussing the theme in the book, discuss
  the theme in OUR MODERN WORLD using the article
  you read, and ONE QUOTE you have pulled from the
  ONLINE ARTICLE, as an example.
• In your CONCLUSION address the following Why
  does Bradbury think the theme could be
  problematic for society? Have we become that
  which Ray Bradbury feared?

15
TYPE TWO WRITING 12 lines 2x spaced
page 71

• The novel begins with a quote by Juan Ramon
  Jimenez stating, If they give you ruled paper,
  write the other way.
• Explain what the quote means and how the book
  connects to the quote so far. Give an example
  from the text.
• If you add a sentence explaining why
  writing about this quote, in this manner, is
  incredibly ironic.

16
Is it escapist? WHY or why not? Explain

• facebook?

You must come to a consensus! (You must all
agree!) You must write in a complete sentence.
Do not use the word YOU.
17
Is it escapist? WHY or why not?

• iPods?

You must come to a consensus! (You must all
agree!) You must write in a complete sentence.
Do not use the word YOU.
18
Is it escapist? WHY or why not?

• texting?

You must come to a consensus! (You must all
agree!) You must write in a complete sentence.
Do not use the word YOU.