Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

Plot (List 7 - 12 major events)

• Montag's wife, Mildred, almost died because she overdosed on sleeping pills. Emergency personal had to come and pump out her stomach and give her new blood. She woke up the next morning not remembering what happened and was extremely hungry.
• A women had a house of books. The firemen went to burn her house down. She cried "You can't ever have my books... " She stayed in her house to burn with her books. Montag took home one of the books before it burned.
• After almost a week of not seeing Clarisse, Montag finds out that she got hit by a car.
• Montag felt really sick after what happened with the lady being burned in the house. He wanted to stay home that day. His boss ended up coming over and talked to him about why they do what they do and most firemen come to a point in their career where they second guess their living style. He explained that he understands and that he lets his firemen take home a book for a day, but only for a day.

Characters (list 3 - 8 characters, with descriptive info on each)

• Guy Montag - is main character, a firefighter who burns books. He thinks he doesn't know his wife, Mildred, anymore due to her always being focused on the "walls." Montag is starting to think books aren't bad.
• Mildred - Montag's wife who is addicted to the "tv screen walls."
• Clarisse McClellan - a 17 year old neighbor of Montag. She thinks alot, takes walks, and talks about her feelings/ideas/thoughts which make people think she is crazy. She gets hit by a car and dies.
• Beatty - is the firefighting cheif. All he really cares about is burning books, he has no mercy; yet is understanding with his firefighters.

Settings (list 3 - 5 settings, with descriptive info. on each)

• Montag's house: In order to get in, you have to stick you hand into a slot on the door that can tell whether or not you are the person that lives there. If you are a visitor, the door will tell the poeple inside that there is someone at the door over and over again until the door is opened or the person leaves. Inside, there is a parlor. This is where all the tv walls are (three out of the four walls are covered with the tv). There's a hall that leads to the kitchen. In the hall there is an airconditioner. Inside that is Montag's hiding spot for books.
• Firemen house/nuilding: a pole that goes from the top floor to the bottom.
• setting 3

Conflicts (identify 3 - 4 major conflicts and explain the importance of each)

• When Mildred didn't tell Montag that Clarisse died, they had a fight. Montag was disgusted because his wife is a totoaly different person; he doesn't even know if he actually knows her. He blames this on the tv walls.
• Between Mildred and Montag there was another figh later on, this time being both in words and in physical actions. It was about Montag hiding books in their airconditioner. She wanted to get rid of them before peopel found out and came and burt their bouse down. Montag wanted to spend a couple days reading the books and then burn them together. Montag won.
• conflict 3

Themes  (identify 3 - 4 major themes and explain the basis of each)

• Look at the first bullet to the Symbolism section. :]
• theme 2
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Symbolism (identify 3 - 4 symbols and provide an interpretation of each)

• "It is computed that 11 thousand persons have at several times suffered death rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end." This was a quote out of one of the books Montage has been hiding. I think it pretty much means that we do things in fear no matter if they are right or wrong. However, if we just did what was right and may suffer a little, it would be lots better than doing what is wrong and having the effects of that may it not be in the same way you are punished for doing what is right.
• symbol 2
• symbol 3

Commentary (express your opinions about the book here)

• opinion 1
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