Author
Where was Bradbury born?
a) LA, California
b) Waukegan, Illinois
c) San Antoni, Texas
b) Waukegan, Illinois
What is the genre of Fahrenheit 451?
Dystopian fiction
When did the atomic age begin?
It began after WWII ended and during the beginning of the Cold War.
What was the Red Scare?
Widespread anxiety about Communism.
No. he spent most of his free time in libraries, either writing or reading.
Who did Bradbury marry?
a) Susan McClure
b) Ramona McClure
c) Marguerite McClure
c) Marguerite McClure
Which of the following is NOT part of dystopian fiction?
a) Class division
b) Poverty
c) A perfect leader
d) Environmental crisis
c) Perfect Leader
What were people afraid of during the Atomic Age?
The catastrophic consequences of new weapons (particularly nuclear ones).
When did the Red Scare begin?
During the Russian Revolution. The Bolsheviks, a political group, dismantled the Czarist autocracy that ruled over Russia. The Bolsheviks were victorious and Russia became the Soviet Union that led with communist ideals.
What caused Bradbury to be fearful of technology?
He thought that it would dumb people's intellect and imagination.
Why was Bradbury unable to join the military in WWII?
a) He had poor eyesight
b) His father was chronically ill, so he had to take care of him.
c) He was considered too old to go.
a) He had poor eyesight
Why is Fahrenheit 451 a dystopian novel?
It is a dystopian novel because the characters experience oppression, censorship, and dictatorship.
What event triggered the start of the atomic age?
The detonation of the first nuclear weapon called Trinity.
Why were people afraid of Communism?
People were scared of communist spies surveying the country and essentially taking control of it, overthrowing democratic and capitalist institutions.
How did Bradbury think that technology would dumb people's intellect?
He thought that technology would dumb people's intellect with the addictive quality of mindless entertainment. People would look for this entreatment without learning and growing.
What did Bradbury write more of: short stories or books?
Short stories
How is Fahrenheit 451 connected to the atomic age?
Bradbury plays on people's fear in the novel, with bombings and the looming threat of war.
Give an example of fear of communism being portrayed in Fahrenheit 451.
The authorities in Fahrenheit 451 have communist qualities. They take away the right to think individually by surveying people constantly, giving them meaningless forms of entertainment, burning books, etc.
Mildred was the most influenced by technology as she spent countless hours in the parlor watching a show whose characters she called family. If she wasn't doing that, she would listen to the radio.
Why did Bradbury say that "libraries raised [him]"?
Bradbury couldn't afford college, so a lot of the knowledge he had he learned from reading in public libraries.
What did Bradburry think about nuclear weapons? Explain your reasoning (Hint: think about how weapons are portrayed in Fahrenheit).
Bradburry thinks that nuclear weapons are a menace to humanity and that if used for the wrong purposes, they can lead to horrible consequences. This is clearly seen at the end of the novel when an entire city is destroyed with the drop of a bomb.
Was Bradburry alarmed by communism? Explain your reasoning.
Bradburry was scared of communism as he thought that it could threaten individual thought and individual liberty, as shown by the events in Fahrenheit 451.
Why do the authorities in Fahrenheit 451 promote the use of technology in society?