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• Ray Bradbury • Born 1920
• 1942 published in
Weird Tales, a
famous pulp science-
fiction magazine
• Writer for Alfred
Hitchcock Presents
and The Twilight
Zone
• 1950 The Martian
Chronicles is
published establishing
Bradbury as a
science fiction icon
• Fahrenheit 451 • Published during the
Background McCarthy Era, when
free expression of
ideas could lead to jail
or social black listing
• The novel reflects
Bradbury's concerns
about censorship and
conformity
• Fahrenheit 451 • Fahrenheit 451
Background, Con’t: portrays a dystopian
future for civilization
• Draws on many of the
same themes as
George Orwell’s 1984
• Is Bradbury’s most
popular and well
known work
• Overview • Guy Montag is a
fireman, but not in the
sense we know
firemen
• Montag’s job is to
burn books and set
fires instead of putting
them in out
• In this bleak future
people drive fast,
watch endless
amounts of TV and
have radios attached
to their ears
• Overview • In this society people do
not read books, go
outside for fun or have
any thoughts or
discussions that require
thought
• Books are thought to be
material that alienates
and offends. In order to
not make anybody feel
inferior all books that are
found are immediately
destroyed
• Montag realizes that his
life is an empty shell
devoid of any substance
• Overview • He becomes dissatisfied
with his job and search
for direction in some
books he steals from one
of his own fires
• With the help of a former
English professor named
Faber, Montag sets out to
change a society that has
forgotten how to think for
itself and enjoys
unquestioning ignorance
• Literary Focus
– Date of Publication • 1953
– Structure • Science Fiction
– Genre • Bradbury has structure
Fahrenheit 451 into three
parts which parallel the
stages of Montag's
transformation
– Setting (time) • Future; 21st Century
– Setting (place • Dystopian Future Version
of United States
– Point of View • Third-Person Limited
Omniscient
– Protagonist • Montag
– Antagonist • Beatty, Wife and Friends,
Society
– Irony
• Beatty, Montag’s boss,
seemingly hates books, but
through admonishments of
Montag reveals he is extremely
well-read
• Literary Focus • Knowledge Giving Way to
– Themes and Conflicts Ignorance
• Consequences of
Passivity
• The Value of Education
• The Importance of
Discussion
• Responsibility and
Consequences
• Alienation and Loneliness
• Change and
Transformation
• Literary Focus, Con’t:
• Symbolize the human
– Symbols
ability to rise up out of
• The Phoenix
the ashes and learn
from past failures
• Montag’s Hands • Symbolic of his
rebellious nature; he
often blames his
hands for actions
society would
condemn
• Literary Focus, Con’t:• At 451 degrees
– Symbolism Fahrenheit, paper will
• 451 Degrees and Fire burn. Fire is symbolic of
the destruction of both
books and the freedom of
thought that books
represent.
• Representative of the
dystopian society from
– Salamander which Montag escapes,
the salamander
represents the destructive
uses of fire
– Mechanical Hound • Represents the dangers
of technology unchecked.
• Characters • 3rd Generation
– Guy Montag Fireman
• Programmed to
repress his own
thoughts and feelings
• Wants desperately to
break free from
society and think for
himself
• Tries to challenge
himself to make a
change in society
• Beatty • The captain of
Montag’s fire
department. Beatty is
extremely well-read,
but he hates books
and people who insist
on reading them.
• Cunning, devious and
very perceptive
• Mildred Montag • Brittle, sickly
• Watches television
non-stop
• Will not share her
thoughts and feelings
with her husband
• Tries to kill herself,
but will not admit it
• Mildred’s Friends • Lead miserable lives
• Disconnected from
other people
• All married more than
once
• Representative of the
ordinary person in this
bleak world
• Professor Faber • Retired English
professor
• Longs for the return of
books and even has
many words from
books memorized
• Realizes it is the
weakness of the
educated to not stand
up and challenge the
ignorant that led to
the burning of books
