Characters
Her curiosity, love of nature, and desire for meaningful conversation are deemed “antisocial” and “peculiar.”
Clarisse
A robotic, eight legged creature used by firefighters to hunt and kill fugitives.
Mechanical Hound
Bradbury uses this comparison when he writes that books are “loaded guns in the house next door.”
Metaphor
Montag begins to question his role as a fireman after meeting Clarisse and witnessing a woman burn with her books. This change in him is an example of this text structure.
Cause/ Effect
Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a futuristic American city where books are banned and citizens are controlled by technology. This describes which literary element?
Setting
Montag’s mentor, representing the lost world of literature and critical thought.
Firemen
Wall-sized television screens that provide immersive interactive entertainment.
Parlour wall
When Bradbury describes the fire as “hungry” and the flames as “biting,” he’s using this device.
Personification
Montag faces the problem of living in a society that bans books, and he seeks this solution to preserve knowledge.
Problem/ Solution
The sequence of events in which Montag changes from a loyal fireman to a defender of books represents this literary element.
Plot
The state’s enforcers of censorship. In this society their job is to start fires rather than put them out.
Firemen
A mythical bird that, every few hundred years, builds a pyre, burns itself to death, and is reborn from the ashes.
Phoenix
The recurring image of fire representing both destruction and renewal is an example of this literary device.
Symbolism
The story follows Montag’s transformation in a clear order: he burns books, questions society, rebels, and escapes. This demonstrates which text structure?
Sequence
The central idea that censorship and ignorance lead to the destruction of society reflects this literary element.
Theme
The community of nomadic intellectuals led by Granger.
Book People
The name given to the fire truck and the official symbol of the firemen, worn on the uniform.
Salamander
When Beatty says, “You can’t make someone listen to reason if they prefer to burn,” Bradbury is using this device to reveal his character’s cynicism.
Irony
Clarisse and Mildred are opposites in their interests and personalities, helping readers understand the values of individuality versus conformity. This uses which text structure?
Compare/ Contrast
Montag’s journey is told with a mood that shifts from oppressive and tense to hopeful by the end. This reflects which literary element?
Tone
The leader of the “Book People.” He is a former author who provides Montag with sanctuary and a new purpose.
Granger
Tiny, thimble-like radios that fit tightly into the ear, providing a constant stream of music, talk, and sound.
Seashells
When Bradbury describes the city’s destruction as “a thunder of jets cutting the sky in two,” he is using this vivid technique to engage readers’ senses.
Imagery
Bradbury’s vivid portrayal of the Mechanical Hound with “eight legs of rubber and eyes of green-blue neon” is an example of which text structure?
Description
The main character who struggles against a society that forbids books and free thought represents this literary element.
Protagonist