Montag's Epic Crashout
What is Montag's profession in the novel and what does he do at that job?
He is a fireman who burns books and homes that contain books.
Who is Mildred?
Montag's wife
Who is Clarisse and what is she like?
She is Montag's 17 year old neighbor, and she is curious and independent.
What kind of literary device is this: "Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly" (Bradbury 89)?
Metaphor (comparing two things without using like or as).
What is one example of a dystopian novel (not Fahrenheit 451)?
Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, the Giver, Uglies, The City of Ember, etc.
What happens to the old woman that had books in her attic? Be as specific as possible.
She chose to burn herself alive with her books instead of go to jail.
What is the job of the Mechanical Hound and what is its main weapon?
What is one reason Montag goes to visit Faber?
To help Montag understand what he reads and to have someone Montag can actually talk to.
What is one thing fire symbolizes in the novel?
Destruction, control, enlightenment, warmth, comfort, etc.
What is one characteristic of a dystopian protagonist that Montag has?
He recognizes something is wrong with the government and tries to change it, he is feels trapped in his life, he puts himself in harms way to help a rebellion, etc.
What is the insidious plan Montag comes up with when he's at Faber's house?
He is going to plant copies of books in firemen's homes and sound the alarm on them.
Who pulled the alarm on Montag's home?
Mildred AND her friends
Why did Montag take Faber's dirty clothes with him when he went on the run?
He wanted to mask his scent from the Mechanical Hound.
What kind of literary device is this: The fact that firemen start fires in this world instead of putting them out?
Irony (something that goes against what you would expect to happen)
What is speculative fiction?
It is a book, movie, or show that makes a guess about what the future will look like.
Why did Montag choose to burn the book of poetry after reading it to Mildred and her friends? Hint: there are multiple possible answers.
He did not want to draw suspicion to himself, he was following Faber's plan, he was following Mildred's plan, he felt bad about making Mrs. Phelps cry, etc.
Why did Beatty lie about the history of the firemen, saying they have always started fires instead of putting them out?
He didn't want Montag to question what the firemen do. It is part of the propaganda.
What is Clarisse's fate?
She was hit by a car.
What type of literary device is this: "The parlor was dead..." (Bradbury 84)?
Personification (giving human traits to a non-human object).
What is one way the citizens or the world of Fahrenheit 451 fit the dystopian genre?
There is a lot of controlling propaganda, most citizens feel helpless, there is a great deal of advanced technology, people are expected to conform to society, etc.
What book has Montag managed to memorize?
The Book of Ecclesiastes
Why does Montag ultimately kill Beatty?
What do Granger and the Intellectuals believe is their mission in life?
They are going to memorize literature and pass it down by word of mouth until it is safe to have books again.
What is one thing that technology symbolizes in the novel?
Control, isolation, communication, etc.
What is one purpose of dystopian literature?
To help the reader recognize negative aspects in their own world, to raise philosophical or moral questions about humans, to serve as a warning against certain political ideologies, to position readers to think differently about their society, to inspire social action and prevent the horrors they show, etc.