Directions: If you would like to respond to this prompt as one of your blog posts, you need to give a detailed, text-oriented response to at least three of the questions below. Be sure to number them. Remember, you may also respond and build on others’ comments.
- Montag comes to learn that "firemen are rarely necessary" because "the public itself stopped reading of its own accord." Bradbury wrote his novel in 1953: To what extent has his prophecy come true today?
- Clarisse describes a past that Montag has never known: one with front porches, gardens, and rocking chairs. What do these items have in common, and how might their removal have encouraged Montag's repressive society?
- What do the firemen “do” for a job? According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
- During his conversation, Montag tells Clarisse that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
- Why do you think that Bradbury would introduce Clarisse before Montag's wife, Mildred? How is Clarisse different than Mildred?
- What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose? What is the hound's reaction to Montag? What does this foreshadow?
- On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?
- Who is Mildred's "family"? How does she spend her days? How does she fall asleep at night?
- What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen? What is unusual about the way Mildred told Montag about Clarisse?
- Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world and elaborate on those topics.
The Hearth and the Salamander Discussion Q's.
ReplyDelete1. In the novel the whole point of "firemen" are to stop people from reading. When Montag comes to the conclusion that the uses of “firemen” are becoming less of an option because people are basically stopping to read on their own, he was not too far off. In today’s society reading is not as important as it should be. We live in a technological driven society. More and more people are veering away from books and are moving closer to watching movies and stopping to read at all.
3. In the novel to be a fireman it has an entirely different meaning then it does today. In the novel a "fireman" is responsible for finding and burning hidden books. It was illegal to keep a book unless it was for your work. When people were found hiding books it is the job of "firemen" to basically search and destroy them. Guy Montag loves every second of his job, according to pages 3-4. He loves the smell of the kerosene burning and loves the rush. It makes him happy and wears a grin on his face.
6. The mechanical hound is a robotic dog that is used in certain situations when the firemen are on duty. It is used to apprehend people that either get violent or run during the burning of the books. It has two syringes that are in its mouth. The first one is a sleep tranquilizer that can be used to return the person to the firemen. The second can simply kill the person by some sort of poison. Montag thinks the hound doesn’t like him when he walks past him and he thinks it growls at him. It actually is foreshadowing for later in the novel. When Montag sets the dog off by waking him up it gets really mad against him and starts at him like it was in attack mode or something. It foreshadowed the fact that Montag and the Hound would eventually have problems with each other.
- Toby McCreary
3.) Firemen burn books that are not allowed to be read. Only certain books are allowed to be owned by people. Like instruction manuals. According to pages 3-4 Guy Montag loves his job. He loves the feeling of books being burned.
ReplyDelete4.) When Montag was talking to Clarisse he said that “you never wash it off completely” I think that Montag is trying to say that being a firemen will always be a part of his life. He will never be able to escape the reality.
8.) Mildred’s family is basically the people in the shows that she watches all of the time. Mildred spends her days watching her shows. That is her life; she doesn’t do anything else really. By talking back to the people in the shows it makes her feel like she is actually in the television. Mildred goes to sleep by taking sleeping pills because she can’t seem to sleep on her own.
-Omar Garibay period 6
1.“Firemen are rarely necessary” because “the public itself stopped reading of its own accord,” is true to a great extent today. People would rather watch TV or go out and do something “fun” rather than sit down and read a book. Also, electronics have greatly affected this reason too. I mean, surely there are Nooks and such which are electronic but still, people don’t read nearly as much as they used to before electronics came out. In the story, the citizens feel as though they don’t need to read books because they can get all of the knowledge they need by watching TV in the parlor. I think a lot of kids this day in age feel the same way, that they don’t need to read or do their homework because they can learn what they need to learn about the book by watching the movie of it.
ReplyDelete6. The mechanical hound is basically like a Dalmatian is to firemen nowadays. He is kind of like a robot dog except he has spider legs. The hound’s purpose is to hunt down people who have done something illegal, like hide books, and put them to sleep or even shoot them with poison and kill them. The hound really dislikes Montag; he always growls at him. I think that the hound is foreshadowing the fact that he can sense that Montag isn’t a “true” fireman.
8. Mildred’s “family” is pretty much a television show that she can program herself into by reading a script. She spends most of her days in the parlor watching different television shows and being lazy. All she seems to care about is herself and her shows. At night, she puts in her seashells and takes sleeping pills before she goes to bed.
9. Clarisse was reported to have died by being hit by a car. When Mildred told Montag about Clarisse’s death, it was unusual because for one, she went four days without telling him, and for two, she didn’t seem sad about it or as if she even cared at all. The citizens of this time period are taught not to feel sad because being sad isn’t fun and that is all they seem to care about, at least most of them.
- Leilani Lopes
1.)That many people rarely read anymore from today. Some people enjoy reading but most story's to some people are not interesting in some ways to them because they are either racist, have to much sexual content, not approved by someones religions, or just not interesting enough.
ReplyDelete3.)Montag really enjoys his job at first until Clarisse asks him if hes happy.Then actually thinks about if he is happy with his life. The firemen burn books for a living, because the houses in that day are fire proof.
4.) That he might wash it off but you still remember the smell, or in other words you never forget what happens that day. It shows how serious things can get on the job and that sometimes its hard to forget.
-Angela Harrison
2)The three things that front porches, gardens, and rocking chairs have in common is; that all of those things are present outside the homes. they all also promote relaxation, thought, conversation. In Montag's society these things all have been banned so that everyone is driven inside to where their "family" is; all so that society is all uniform in everything that they do.
ReplyDelete4) When Montag says that the kerosene can't really be completely washed away he's saying that no matter what bad things people do and no matter how much they "fix" the wrong doing; people can never be completely cleansed from what the've done.
6) The Machanical hound it the story is the machine that either kills' or puts to sleep the people that the firemen arrest for owning books. This hound is introduced as a killing machine and when Montag trys to tough it when it's "asleep" it growls and the needle that it uses to kill protrudes slightly from its' mouth. This event foreshadows that the hound will eventually be sent to kill Montag.
- Josiah R
Angie I like how you really understand the concept of Fahrenheit 451. You really sound like you know what you are talking about and have a clear understanding of what the questions are asking.
ReplyDelete- Toby McCreary
3. In the novel Fireman are ment to hunt down those who hide books. Books where illegal to have unless they where instruction manuals. Fireman's job was to burn these books. Guy Montag seems to enjoy his job, since he loves the smell of kerosene and always has a smile after his job is completed.
ReplyDelete4. "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene, might mean that his job will always be part of his life no matter what happens.
8. Mildred is a no life who lives watching TV shows the whole day. Her family seems to be actors that appear in the shows she watches. Mildred takes sleeping spills at night to sleep, she also has her seashells on.
- jorge g -
3) Firemen in this book do completely different things than our society. In the book, Firemen are responsible to find books and burn them. All books are illegal except their job manuals. According to pages 3-4, Montag likes his job. He loves the smell of the Kerosene and it gives him satisfaction. I see what your trying to say Angela, but firemen don’t burn books because houses are waterproof, they burn them because they don’t want people to be informed about the past and they want all the citizens to be like Mildred not caring about anything but their TV.
ReplyDelete6) The mechanical hound is a robot dog that firemen take with them when they go burn books in case someone decides to fight back or try to escape with books. It has metal teeth that either inject you with a tranquilizer liquid or kill you with a poison-like liquid. The hound’s reaction to Montag is that he growls at him when he gets near him. This might foreshadow that later in the story the dog might make Montag one more of his victims if he gets caught with books.
8) Mildred’s family is her three wall television. She spends all day long watching TV and even asks Montag to work harder so that they could get the fourth wall covered. She spends her days watching shows and she has these programs in which her name could be added to the script that the characters are saying, making her feel like she is actually having a conversation with them. At night she uses sleeping pills and sea shells to fall asleep.
-Miguel Sanchez
Jorge- I agree with what you said about the "not being able to wash it off" quote. I agree with your interpretation of the quote and I interpreted it just about the same.
ReplyDelete- Toby McCreary
Leilani I believe you are very much understanding the story Fahrenheit 451, I really like what you said about how well you described Mildred and how she acts, because she really is a crazy woman in many ways but I sometimes believe its because she just isn’t happy herself she acts like it but she really is unhappy. Because I feel that she thinks her husband doesn’t really care for her, I think she feels that he loves his job more than her. Anyways I think you did really well and keep up the good work.
ReplyDelete-Angela Harrison
Jorge I like what you answered for number three but you forget that Montag really doesn't know if he is happy. Thats why when Clarisse asks him,"Are you happy?" he gets confused about the question. Then when he finds out she dies he goes to look for the answer to if her truly is happy with the life he has. But I'm glad you are understanding the whole concept of the book and keep up the good work.
ReplyDelete-Angela Harrison
Angela i believe you have the right interpretation in your answer to the third question, even though i believe Guy is happy doing his job. It seems like his job might not be the only problem in his life, which means there can be other issues bothering him more, for example not having a "real wife" at home.
ReplyDelete- jorge g -
Omar, your interpretation to the quote is much like mine. We have similar answers, but i think Montag is living in reality and has nothing to escape but his miseries at home.
ReplyDeleteJorge G
Leilani, I truly agree with your response to question one. If books were not to be read many us would rather watch TV, or go out to do something else. Having that in mind fireman would be that necessary due to the fact not many of us would take the risk to be in trouble. I think your answer to the question is great.
ReplyDeletejorge g
The Hearth and the Salamander Q's.
ReplyDelete2. Clarisse describes about rocking chairs, front porches and gardens. All of these places are excellent for sitting down and reading a good book. They also are good places to sit and relax while you calm your mind. Montag is unfamiliar with these because his society has dramatically changed. Not only do they burn books but they seem to be living a faster and electronically dominated society.
5. I think Bradbury decided to introduce Clarisse to us before his wife, because Clarisse is the one who gets Montag thinking. She asked him if he was happy with his life which led to him questioning his ideas. By introducing Clarisse first and then his wife it goes along with if he is happy with his life and his wife is apart of that.
8. Mildred’s family is basically the actors in her television programs that she watches. She thinks as if she has a role and that they are her family. Mildred has sleeping problems so she takes sleeping pills to try and fix that. But it leads to her constant overdosing. She also falls to sleep while wearing her sea shells.
-Toby McCreary
Miguel, you have great knowledge of whats going on in the story. You discribed the mechanical hound completely, keep u[p the good work.
ReplyDeleteJorge G
2.Front porches, gardens, and rocking chairs are similar because they all can be located outside and people often socialize about and around them. Their removal in Montag’s society encourages the citizens to stay indoors and never converse with others outside their “family.” The government wants everyone and everything to be alike.
ReplyDelete3.The firemen aren’t like firemen nowadays; these firemen set fires instead of put them out. According to pages 3-4, Montag fines pleasure in his job. However, this was before he met Clarisse. After he started talking to her, he realized he actually hates his job and you can tell he wishes he was more like Clarisse.
5.I think Bradbury introduced Clarisse before Mildred to show how different Montag reacts to each of them. Even though Mildred his wife, he seems to show more love and interest in Clarisse. Clarisse and Mildred are very different people. Mildred likes to stay inside and has conformed to societies rules. However, Clarisse loves to be outside enjoying her life the way the government doesn’t want people doing. She doesn’t believe in conforming to be just like everyone else whereas Mildred finds some sort of pleasure in being like everyone else.
- Leilani Lopes
1. This is some what true today but not to that extent people still read books and most of the enjoy them but its not so bad to the point that its illegal.
ReplyDelete2. all of this things have in common that most of the time conversation takes place around them. And this might be something that Montage would like to experience.
3. they burn down houses that are suspected of having books, Montage loves his job he thinks that its great job but that there is something missing.
-jose-cruz
4 – he probably means that the shame of doing something bad will always be their no matter what you do.
ReplyDelete5- she is different because she makes montage realize that what he has right now does not make him happy, and the way she is so different form his wife.
6- The mechanical hound is a machine that they send after you when you are doing something illegal, and the foreshadow is that the hound will end up chasing him.
-jose cruz
1.The book depicts a society where books don't matter as much anymore. We have that sort of society today. Even though its not as extreme, not many people spend as much on books.
ReplyDelete3. The firemen burn books, because books are illegal. Before he meets Clarisse, Montag was really happy with his job, it was pretty much all he had ever known.
8.Mildred watches a lot of television. She considers the people on her television her family. She falls asleep at night while listening to her shells.
Elizabeth G.