Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury About the Book

Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

About the Book § Ray Bradbury’s most well-known novel-first began as a short story (“The Fireman”), published in 1951 § Turned into a novel and published in 1953 during the Cold War §Takes place in a futuristic society; war is about to break out, but citizens are so “busy” they don’t notice or care § reflects Bradbury's concerns about censorship and conformity during a period when free expression of ideas could lead to social and economic ostracizing

Basic Values GOOD: BAD: • TV takes place of human interaction • Books= forbidden • Mindless entertainment, volume, speed • No interest in other people or literature • Society is completely ignorant of its past & present • Independent thought, questioning, time alone, nature • You must burn any home that contains books • You must imprison or kill people who own books

Characters Guy Montag The central character of the novel and its hero. Fahrenheit 451 is about the transformation of Montag from an obedient servant of the state to a questioning human being. As a fireman, Montag's job is not to put out fires but to start them, in order to burn books that are illegally harbored by wayward citizens.

Characters continued Mildred Montag's wife, Mildred, represents those who completely accept the basic beliefs of the society. • Is a perfect citizen in this society • Craves constant entertainment and diversion • Avoids personal or emotional connections • Does not know how to communicate with Montag; does not desire communication with Montag • Associated with the language of death (tomb, mausoleum) and cold, rigid, lifeless things (marble, stone) • Mildred is empty of anything real or meaningful—especially evident in contrast to Clarisse Mc. Clellen.

Characters continued Clarisse Mc. Clellan A teenage girl who is a neighbor of Montag's. Clarisse represents innocence. She questions the rationale of the ideas that govern Montag's life and is the stimulus that makes Montag begin to doubt what he is doing. Clarisse is shown in contrast to Montag's wife, who totally accepts the values of the society • She enjoys everything she shouldn’t: nature, solitude, questioning things/ people around her • At school, Clarisse is an outcast; she does not enjoy the mindless activities everyone else loves: TV, sports, destruction, violence • “They” see her as a threat: she questions, she sees beyond shallow diversions. She must go to a psychiatrist; her uncle was jailed twice

Characters Continued Captain Beatty The captain of the firefighters and Montag's superior. Beatty's character, who represents those who rationalize the bookburnings of the firemen, contrasts with Montag's. It is Beatty who explains the history of firefighting in the story and who fully embraces its justification, ironically quoting from literature to support his arguments. Black and Stoneman Fellow firemen. Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Clara Phelps Mildred Montag's friends.

Characters continued Professor Faber Montag met Faber, who is a retired English professor, in the park a few months prior to the events in the novel. After Montag begins doubting his role as a fireman, he turns to Faber for guidance. Granger is one of the book people who live in the woods. He introduces Montag to a number of the book people. Mechanical Hound A robotic dog that can detect the location of illegal books and is also able to destroy people. With the representation of the Mechanical Hound, Bradbury is able to convey how technological advances can be used for destructive purposes.

About the Author § Born on August 22, 1920, in Waukegan, Illinois §Died June 5, 2012 § Many of his stories are set in towns similar to Waukegan. § As a young child he was exposed to the horror movies of the period, such as The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. § Like Montag in Fahrenheit 451, the heroes of these stories are social outcasts. § He began writing stories at the age of fifteen

Author continued § Many of his stories have been televised on shows like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and the Ray Bradbury Theater. § The sheer volume of Bradbury's science fiction writing guarantees his importance in that genre.