Opening and Settings
What tone is created in the opening paragraph?
Dark/Menacing/Destructive
Who represents curiosity and questioning society?
Clarisse
What does fire symbolize at the beginning of the novel?
Destruction and control
What happens to Mildred early in the novel?
She overdoses on sleeping pills
What theme is shown through Mildred’s life?
Emotional numbness / disconnection
What does the "great python spitting" symbolize? (p.1)
Evil destroying something good
Who is addicted to technology and emotionally detached?
Mildred
What do books symbolize?
Knowledge, ideas, truth
What does Montag kick in the bedroom?
An empty pill bottle
What theme is shown through Clarisse?
Curiosity vs conformity
What innocent act is against the law in this society?
Reading books
Who explains how society became censored?
Captain Beatty
What does the Mechanical Hound represent?
Control, fear, surveillance
What disturbing behavior do the technicians show?
They act casually and unemotionally while saving Mildred
What theme is shown when the old woman dies with her books?
Ideas are powerful/worth sacrifice
What is the fireman's job in this world?
To burn books and houses containing them (protectors of peace)
What does Montag realize about his relationship with Mildred?
He does not truly know or love her.
What do birds, such as pigeons, symbolize when compared to books?
Fragility, freedom, beauty, vulnerability
What does the old woman do when the firemen arrive?
She burns with her book
Why are TV shows plotless and meaningless?
To prevent thinking and keep people distracted
Concerning his job, what lie does Montag believe about the past?
That firemen have always burned books, and houses were always fireproof.
Why does Beatty call Clarisse a "time bomb?"
Because she has independent thought/curiosity, which threatens society.
What do the salamander and phoenix symbolize?
Fire survival and destruction/rebirth
What violation does Montag commit during the fire?
He steals a book
Why did society remove front porches?
To stop people from sitting, talking, and thinking