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Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451. The Symbolism of the Firemen. Main Characters in Fahrenheit 451. Guy Montag Clarisse McClelland Mildred (Millie) Montag Captain Beatty. The Legend of the Phoenix. A supernatural, beautiful bird Yellow, orange, gold, red feathers (fire)

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Fahrenheit 451

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  1. Fahrenheit 451 The Symbolism of the Firemen

  2. Main Characters in Fahrenheit 451 • Guy Montag • Clarisse McClelland • Mildred (Millie) Montag • Captain Beatty

  3. The Legend of the Phoenix • A supernatural, beautiful bird • Yellow, orange, gold, red feathers (fire) • Associated with the pagan sun god, Heilos • Only one phoenix lives at a time, stands alone lives for 1000 years • Builds funeral pyre, throws self into flames • Reborn into ashes, rises to live again • Symbol of immortality, life after death, resurrection

  4. The Salamander • Greek, meaning “fire animal” • Small lizard, cold-hearted • Popular in fall (symbol of death, end of life) • Born of fire & flame • Fire-proof skin, can endure flame without damage • colors of red, orange & gold = fire, flames • Symbol of faith & courage

  5. The Beetle • A small, black bug • Associated with devil • Act as mediators between gods & normal men • Symbol of the immortality & the divine; industrialness

  6. The Python • Powerful snake • Biblical reference to Adam & Eve • Symbolic of sin

  7. The Hearth • Fireplace • Contained fire, controlled • Symbolic of the home

  8. Symbolic Colors In Fahrenheit 451 • Red – fire, blood, war, danger, power & passion • Orange – determination & enthusiasm, aggression, thirst for action • Gold- wisdom, wealth • Yellow – energy • Black- devil, evil, power, death

  9. Guy Montag • “It was a pleasure to burn” • Futuristic fireman - caretakers of society - keepers of peace of mind • 30 years old • Married to Millie - thinks they have good marriage - can’t remember how they met • Appears to love job, “forced smile”

  10. Clarisse McClelland • Montag meets her on his way home • “I’m seventeen & crazy” • She doesn’t fear Montag • Questions & talks with him • “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?” • She is odd, enjoys walks, talking • “Are you happy?”

  11. Mildred (Millie) Montag • Montag’s wife • Representative of Society - Escapes - drugs, ear seashells, TV parlor walls - Overdosing - Selfish - Violent (Clarisse points this out)

  12. Millie’s Overdose • Overdoes on sleeping pills • Crew comes, pumps her stomach & blood • Crew is very informal, routine - smoking cigarettes, joking around • Millie is in denial • Montag is scared • She doesn’t believe Montag

  13. Montag & his Meetings with Clarisse These encounters set up Montag’s future and his battle against censorship & banned books They start his quest for knowledge

  14. Meeting One • She meets Montag on her way home from work • She likes to walk, talk, look at things, smell things - lives with her parents, uncle - Doesn’t watch parlor walls • Not afraid of Montag – others fear firemen • “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?” • Jet cars race down the street –foreshadowing - people don’t drive slowly, uncle did once- got arrested - miss things like colors of the grass • “Are you happy?”

  15. Meeting Two • “Rain tastes good” • Dandelion test • She sees a psychiatrist • He thinks she is more mature than Millie • She starting to forget he is a firemen • Montag doesn’t know how firemen started • As she leaves, Montag TASTES rain

  16. Third & Final Meeting • Montag feels he has known her for years • “Why don’t you have children?” • “It has been a long time since anyone cared.” • His smile, laugh nicer, more relaxed, not forced like before • Anti-social behavior • Ends conversation by saying “goodbye”

  17. Impact of Clarisse • Opposite of society and its norms • The catalyst – gets Montag thinking - asking questions, softening Montag • Discovery of Violence of Teens - teens smash windows, beat each other - drive recklessly - “Afraid of others her own” - They kill each other” - foreshadows her death “goodbye”

  18. The Mechanical Hound • A programmable, robotic dog, has 8 legs • Made of rubber & metal • Armed with needles to inject victims with Morphine or procaine • Programmed by DNA, to find victims • Montag fears the dog, “It doesn’t like me”

  19. The Mechanical Hound (cont.) • Devil dogs are guardians of Satan • Mechanical – it “functions” • Can only be programmed • Beatty suspects Montag is “having doubts” • Montag is told about a man who programs the dog to kill him

  20. The Firehouse & The Old Woman • Alarm sounds, heads to the woman’s house • After several warnings, she refuses to leave • Her statement about Master Ridley - burned for heresy for a crime he did not commit - she begins the quote, BEATTY FINISHES IT • She lights a match & burns with her books • Montag’s hand steals the Bible • For the 1st time, Montag is sick after a burning

  21. Back Home After the Burning • Montag pretends to be ill, calls off work • Millie notices Montag crying about the women • He hides the book under his pillow • Realizes he is no longer in love with Millie • Millie tells Montag “Clarisse is gone”

  22. The History of the Firemen • Beatty informs Montag of the Firemen • Things have MASS • People long for a simpler life • Classics cut, short, people lost interest in reading • English, grammar, spelling neglected • Languages dropped • Money & pleasure only important • Minority groups did not like books

  23. History of the Firemen (cont.) • People became too politically correct • Too worried about offending • People want to be happy • Only way to ensure happiness is equality • People MUST be made EQUAL • Fire is pure & clean

  24. At Montag’s House • Only books allowed are comics, manuals & trade magazines • “Every firemen gets an itch…..” Beatty knows Montag is curious • Millie finds the book while Beatty is there • Millie & Montag argue after Beatty leaves

  25. FAHRENHEIT 451 Section 2 The Sieve & The Sand

  26. The Sieve & the Sand • Montag remembers a story about a SIEVE as a child • Sieve – Sifter, sand falls through the cracks • Trying to fill a sieve with sand is impossible • How is this like Montag?

  27. Millie & Montag • Millie is unhappy with her husband • He is trying to discuss books with her • She thinks books are useless • She wants Montag to get rid of the books • Montag realizes he needs a teacher

  28. Meeting Faber • Faber is a retired college professor • Montag met him in the park, one year ago • Calls Faber on the phone • Asks him about books • Faber is too cowardly to talk to Montag

  29. Montag’s Trip To Faber’s House • Montag’s moment of self-discovery • Realizes the “old, burnt-in smile” is gone • Sieve & the Sand = helplessness • Tried to read the Bible without comprehension • Tries to memorize a passage on the subway • Dentham’s Dentifrice - toothpaste commercial distracts him

  30. At Faber’s House • Faber is afraid of Montag • Faber is cowardly • Montag needs someone to talk to/explain things • Faber tells Montag about 3 missing things -

  31. Three Missing Things • Quality of information -Books have quality, texture, pores - Provide details of life • Leisure – time to think, digest • Time to develop own conclusions • Right to carry out actions based on the first 2

  32. The White Clown • Television show • Millie thinks these television characters care about her – fantasy world/real vs. fake • Very violent, people cutting limbs off of people and laughing about it • The women enjoy this violent television

  33. View of Families & Marriage • Relationships & Husbands - husband off at war, not worried - replaceable - no love • Children & Childbirth - have no kids at all, no desire - births by cesarean - don’t want to raise kids, drop them off at schools - turn the TV on & leave them alone - laundry, “ruinous”

  34. Fahrenheit 451Section 3 Burning Bright

  35. Who turned Montag in? • Mrs. Bowles & Mrs. Phelps turned them in – Beatty ignores those complaints • Millie turned him in –worried about TV more than Montag • Beatty is torn between duty as fireman/his conscience • Beatty wanted Montag to be a good fireman • Could have finished him off • Beatty appears HUMAN • The last time Millie is seen in book

  36. Beatty & Montag • Beatty wants Montag to torch his own house • Beatty confesses to sending the Mechanical hound • Beatty seems to feel regret but also enjoys tormenting him • Beatty doesn’t realize Montag ENJOYS buring his house – SYMBOLIC of a life he hated

  37. The Legend of Icarus • Beatty compares Montag to Icarus (more proof that he is well-read • A young man who wanted to fly - made wax wings that worked - flew too close to the sun/melted & his died • Beatty taunts Montag with this idea - going down wrong path will get him “BURNED”

  38. Montag & the TV Screens • Montag enjoys burning the TV screens • Revenge on something he hated • Symbolic of his life and what is gone • After the burning, he is NOT smiling

  39. Montag talks with Faber • Faber tells Montag to leave through the ear radio • Beatty discovers the ear radio & threaten to go after Faber • Montag “We never burned right” - firemen burn out of habit, shown have been aware of what they were burning • Beatty rants, Montag stalls him -”Go ahead – spit Shakespeare at me” - Beatty was wrong to encourage burning & he knew the value in books

  40. Montag Kills Beatty • Montag sets fire to Beatty, killing him • Beatty teases/taunts him • Did Beatty WANT to be killed? HE WAS EDUCATED - he didn’t fight back, stood there – defenseless - Too cowardly to carry out any plan against firemen - Knew he was responsible for society - Charred wax doll (Millie & Beatty) symbolic of people “Don’t fix a problem – burn it” -people avoid problems rather than try to solve them

  41. Montag gets away • Montag is injured by the Hound - injures his leg - Difficult to run • Hears war is going on while on the way to Faber’s house • Cross a busy street to get to Faber’s house - Violence/speeding cars

  42. Visit with Faber • Gets to Faber’s house safely • Faber tells him of a place down the river • Montag covers self in whiskey to kill the scent (protect from hound) • Faber cleans house to rid of Montag’s scent

  43. Journey Down the River • Montag gets to river, splashes with whiskey and gets rid of his old clothes to lose the hound • Follows railroad tracks to find a group of men around a fire • Fire has changed to warm, soothing and pure from destructive & dangerous

  44. Meeting Granger • Granger is the leader of the group • They group memorized books • Gave Montag a drink to change his body chemistry • They watched on a small tv, an innocent man get killed by the hound –protect society

  45. Human Books • Montag couldn’t remember what he read • people memorize • Montag would become the backup, if anything happens to that person MOntag takes over • They were all in hiding, hoping to come back one day and get people reading & thinking again

  46. War • A bomb strikes the city. Everything is destroyed • Millie is dead, Faber got away • They started walking down the river to return to the city • Hope, of the future • Represent the phoenix/city reborn from the ashes

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