Montag's Journey
How does Montag feel about his job (and the society he lives in) in the beginning of the novel?
Montag is content and finds his job pleasurable.
Who is Clarisse McClellan?
Montag's new neighbor; a 17-year-old girl with "strange" behaviors.
"Her face, turned to him now, was fragile milk crystal with a soft and constant light in it" (pg. 11)
metaphor; Clarisse seems to give Montag a true insight to himself and connects him to memories of the past
What is the main form of censorship in the novel?
The burning of books and knowledge.
What or who acts as a catalyst to Montag's self-realization and questioning? What is Montag asked that disrupts his previous contentment?
Clarisse; she asks him if he's happy.
True or False: Clarisse likes to attend the Fun Parks and watch the parlor walls as often as possible.
False
"two moonstones looked up at him in the light of his small hand-held fire; two pale moonstones buried in a creek of clear water over which the life of the world ran, not touching them" (pg. 17)
metaphor: Mildred's glassy eyes of death are being compared to stones in a creek bed.
What is education like in Montag's society?
They watch TV, play sports, are given a transcript of history, paint, and NEVER ask questions. They are fed answers with no time to think.
How does Montag begin to show that his perspective is changing (multiple answers)?
He starts to question the world around him, he starts to reconsider his job, he starts observing his life (like Clarisse does).
What was Clarisse's uncle arrested for?
Being a pedestrian.
The orange salamander on Montag's badge.
a symbol of his profession; salamanders are said to live in fire in mythology.
When asked if firemen used to put fires OUT, Montag responds....
that they have always burnt books.
On page 37, we start to see Montag question what?
His job, why they do what they do, what happens to those that they do it to.
During their second conversation, Clarisse makes Montag rethink his _______. She does after having him rub his chin with a _________.
relationship; dandelion
"One of them slid down into your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for all the old water and old time gathered there" (pg. 18)
simile; the machine is being compared to a dangerous/dark/negative animal.
Think: How does the fast paced, entertainment filled life that all citizens are meant to partake in seem to affect the whole society?
No one stops to think or wonder. It's all used as a way to decrease any original thought.
True or false: Montag's perspective on life hasn't really changed over the course of the novel.
False
Clarisse says that she forgets Montag is a firemen for this reason:
He puts up with her and takes the time to talk to her.
"The woman on the bed was no more than a hard stratum of marble they had reached" (pg.18)
metaphor; emphasizes the lack of empathy the emergency personnel have and the casual way in which they pump a nearly dead woman's stomach.