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.
- Why would society make "being a pedestrian" a crime? (Clarisse tells Montag that her uncle was once arrested for this.)
- One of the most significant of the many literary allusions in Fahrenheit 451 occurs when Montag reads Matthew Arnold's poem "
Dover Beach - One suicide and one near-suicide occur in this book. One woman, who shuns books but loves TV and driving fast in her car, anesthetizes herself,; "We get these cases nine or ten a night," says the medical technician. Another woman, who cherishes her books, sets herself on fire with them; "These fanatics always try suicide," says the fire captain. Why would two people who seem to be so different from each other try to take their own lives? Why does suicide happen so frequently in Montag's society?"
- Beatty tells Montag that firemen are "custodians of peace of mind" and that they stand against "those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought." How well are the firemen accomplishing these objectives? Are conflicting ideas the only source of unhappiness in their society? What other sources might there be? Can conflicting ideas exist even without books that have been destroyed and outlawed?
- Captain Beatty quotes history, scripture, poetry, philosophy. He is obviously a well-read man. Why hasn't he been punished? And why does he view the books he's read with such contempt? How can Beatty's knowledge of and hatred for books be reconciled?
- Why do you think the firemen's rulebook credited Benjamin Franklin-- writer, publisher, political leader, inventor, ambassador--as being the first fireman?
- Why does Beatty program the Hound to track Montag even before Montag stole the book? Do you believe Beatty had seen him steal books before? Or is it that Beatty had detected a change in Montag's attitude or behavior? Cite incidents in the book that support your answer.
1.Society might make "being a pedestrian" a crime because they live in a society where they pretty much want people to stay inside their house and watch TV. Porches don’t exist because they don’t want people chilling in the front of their houses looking around the neighborhood. Pedestrians, like Clarisse are a threat to society because they get the chance to explore things and they might encourage other people to do the same.
ReplyDelete2.Mildred’s friends want to leave as soon as they see Montag with the book, but Millie makes up a lie and convinces them to stay and even listen to Matthew Arnold's poem "Dover Beach. After Montag reads the poem, Mrs. Phelps starts crying and says that Montag is “nasty” which triggers his anger. He kicks her out while telling her to go home and think of her dead husbands and her caesarian sections and her dozen abortions.
3.I think that the firemen's rulebook credited Benjamin Franklin as
being the first fireman because the author knew that Franklin is
an important person to our society because of the impact he
had in our history so they wanted to make him important in their
society too by making him the first fireman in their history.
-Miguel Sanchez
3.I think two people who are so different from each other, would try to take their own lives for two similar, yet very different reasons. The lady, who died for her books, knew that once everything she loved was burned, she’d feel as though there would be no reason to live; she wasn’t going to ever be happy. Mildred attempted to take her life because she also wasn’t happy. As much as Montag gave her, she was still full of sorrow. I think suicide happens so frequently in Montag’s society because no one is happy. They can hardly make decisions for themselves.
ReplyDelete1.In the society in Fahrenheit 451, being a pedestrian is considered a crime because they don’t want people exploring the world. The government tries to keep everyone isolated in their own homes because they don’t want them communicating. I think they’re afraid of a group of people discovering how awesome the outside world is and plotting a plan to get more freedom or even to get books back; which is exactly what happened.
5.You can pretty much tell Captain Beatty has done his fair share of reading books because he so knowledgeable and quotes a lot. I think he hasn’t been punished because people don’t expect him to have committed the crime of reading because of his spot as captain. Also, I think that if anyone had ever caught him reading or steeling a book, they’d be too afraid of him to call him out on it. He approves the books he’s read with disproval because he is in denial and he knows he isn’t supposed to enjoy reading. I think if he ignored the denial he has for books, he might actually enjoy them.
- Leilani Lopes ;P
this helped SOOOOO much! thanks!!!!
Delete1) Society would make being a pedestrian a crime because they want everyone to stay inside and not bother being out on the street. The Government must obviously want to control everyone.
ReplyDelete3) I think that the reason that these people would take their own lives is because they want attention from other people. I would say that because just about everyone in society is becoming conformists; just doing what they're told.
6) I think that the reason that the firemens rulebook mentions Benjamin Frankiln is becaue he was one of the founders of this country and hime being a writer, publisher and inventor just makes the situation ironic.
1) Society would make being a pedestrian a crime because they want everyone to stay inside and not bother being out on the street. The Government must obviously want to control everyone.
ReplyDelete3) I think that the reason that these people would take their own lives is because they want attention from other people. I would say that because just about everyone in society is becoming conformists; just doing what they're told.
6) I think that the reason that the firemens rulebook mentions Benjamin Frankiln is becaue he was one of the founders of this country and hime being a writer, publisher and inventor just makes the situation ironic.
- Josiah Reedy
. 4.) Firemen are accomplishing the fact of keeping people unhappy from racial comments and sexual orientation and suicidal thoughts. But I think that people need to know what’s out there in the world and what happens in situations.
ReplyDelete5.) Someone needs to know what is in the books and why they should be banned. Because it makes a better leader to know what’s ahead. It also makes a leader to be prepared for what’s ahead.
7.) Beatty had suspicions that Montag had books so he programmed it to keep an eye on him then Beatty realizes that his concerns were true. I also believe that is foreshadowing because the hound ends up chasing him in the end.
-Angela Harrison
1. Because in this time that is not what most people do and this may seem like they are doing something that is no accepted by society.
ReplyDelete2. their response to the poem was tears and he kicks them out because they say that is why we shouldn’t have books.
3. they would try this one of the because her life means noting she doesn’t have a life and the other one for passion for her books, and this is frequent because people during this time life means nothing to them.\
jose cruz
1. I believe that beatys hatred is nothing else but really well hidden love for literature but he has found a way to keep the hidden and his real life undercover so that no one else finds out.
ReplyDelete2. because he is well respected man who did good things and maybe they would think that their job is real honorable job that it’s the right thing to do.
3. I think that he knew some change because after they find out beaty had already known for a while so I think that he had some idea of what was going on.
-jose cruz
Leilani, i really liked what you answered for number 3 because i spent like 10 minutes trying to think of something that would answer that question and i couldnt so i give you props for thinking of such a good answer :D
ReplyDelete~Miguel Sanchez
1. Society would make being a pedestrian a crime, because all the want is people to be home watching tv giving them no trouble.
ReplyDelete5. Captin Beatty hasnt been punished, because he says he read the books back then when they were legal. I belive Beatty likes the books, but being a fireman makes him speak from profesion and not feelings.
I belive the fireman rulebook mentions Benjamin Freanklin, because he has been important to the country, and him being a well read man does not affect others.
Jorge G
1. The government wants to make everyone as safe and boring as possible. Being a pedestrian would be giving them too much freedom.
ReplyDelete2. The society in Faranheit 451 is all about extremes. The women who tried to commit suicide are just the product of the society they have grown up in.
7. I think Beatty programmed the hound to track Montag, because he could assume the situation that Montag was in. Beatty had read books too, so he could probably feel the guilt that Montag was feeing too.
Elizabeth G.