Fahrenheit 451

1. Fahrenheit 451 Social Criticism

2. The novel • Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction novel written in 1953 by Ray Bradbury. • Its title is in reference to the auto-ignition point of paper.

3. Genre & Fahrenheit 451 • In literature, genre refers to a category that is defined by style, form, or subject matter. • Fahrenheit 451 belongs to the dystopian genre. • A dystopiarefers to a society, often characterized by subverted values, in which everyone and everything is the opposite of the way it should be. Dystopian societies often have totalitarian governments, miserable people, and terrible violence. Dystopia is the opposite of utopia. • Other examples: 1984, Brave New World, The Hunger Games

4. Dystopia & author’s purpose • Generally the purpose of dystopian literature is to point out and criticize flaws in our own society. • Unit Essential Question: In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, how does he critique modern society? What is being criticized and why?

5. Historical context • During the time the novel was written, television was just becoming readily available to American families. • With the advent of television, the popularity of other leisure activities and social situations (reading, radio, movie theatres, drive-ins) plummeted. • What factors may have helped contribute to television’s popularity?

6. Post-War Baby Boom • After WWII, soldiers came home in waves and promptly started families. • The United States experienced unprecedented wealth and prosperity, and real estate projects were everywhere. • Land was developed to make suburban neighborhoods that were uniform • Many people lived in “cookie cutter” houses that all looked the same.

7. Cultural Conformity • The 1950s were a decade of cultural conformity; the ideal image of a family was portrayed in the media and anything else was considered deviant and inferior. • The place of women was in the home, managing household affairs.

9. Censorship and Book Burning • Two major themes of Fahrenheit 451 are censorship and book burning (alternatively known as libricide). • Throughout history, books have been censored or destroyed to avoid the dissemination of their content or message.

10. Historical book burning • Books have been destroyed countless times throughout history, but here are some recent incidents: • Material deemed “obscene” by the Spanish Inquisition (1400-1560s) • Jewish, anti-Nazi, and any books considered “degenerate” by the Nazi party (1940s) • Chinese Libraries by Japanese troops (1940s) • National Socialist/Nazi Literature by Allied Forces (late 1940s – post war) • Religious and Anti-Communist literature during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) • Beatles memorabilia by American conservatives (1966) • Books from the Harry Potter series by religious fundamentalists (2006)

13. Censorship & Book Banning • The society in Fahrenheit 451 has made the ownership of books illegal. All books are considered subversive and have been banned. • However, throughout history (both ancient and modern) books have been banned and censored for various reasons: usually because they have found to be morally or politically objectionable.

14. Banned Books • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – criticized for racist and sexual content • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain – criticized for racist and offensive language • A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry – criticized for sexual content • Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling – criticized for association with witchcraft/Satanism • Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut – criticized for offensive language and sexuality • Lord of the Flies by William Golding – criticized for violence and being “anti-Christian” • Anne Frank: The Story of a Young Girl – criticized for sexual/disturbing content • Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck – criticized for racism, offensive language, and violence

15. Writing • Consider the prevalence of technology in your world today and the level of government involvement. Does the amount of either of these things make you uncomfortable or concerned for the future of America? What concerns/scares you the most about the direction in which technology (and essentially censorship and individuality) is headed?

16. “The Hearth & The Salamander” • A salamander is an amphibian (often mistaken for a lizard) that is unique in its ability to regenerate limbs. If a salamander loses its limbs or tail, these appendages will grow back. • The most common and well-known salamander is black with yellow, red, orange, or white spots.

17. “The Hearth & The Salamander” • The fire salamander (Salamandrasalamandra) makes its home by nesting in hollowed trees and logs. When their wooden homes were burned for heat, the salamanders would appear from within the logs to crawl away.

18. Medieval Interpretations • During the Middle Ages, it was thought salamanders emerged from fire – that they were born in it and thrived in it. This led to the association of salamanders with fire. • The salamander was regarded as a descendant or relative of the mythical dragon.

19. Salamander as a Motif • Because of its association as a creature that thrives in fire, the salamander is part of the fire motif of Fahrenheit 451. • What could the salamander be intended to represent?

20. Phoenix • Montag is also described as having an insignia of a phoenix on his fireman’s uniform. • The phoenix, much like the salamander, also has mythical significance and a connection with fire.

21. Mythology behind the phoenix • In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn from the ashes of its previous form. It would be consumed by fire in death and then emerge from the flames, rejuvenated. • The phoenix generally symbolizes rebirth and renewal. It represents fire as both a destructive and creative force.

22. Vocabulary Section 1.1 • Hearth • Mausoleum • Melancholy • Hypnotic • Obligated • Inclined

23. Vocabulary – 1.1 • Hearth: the home or family life; the area surrounding a fireplace. • Noun.

24. Vocabulary 1.1 • Mausoleum: a monument or burial chamber for the dead. • Noun.

25. Vocabulary 1.1 • Melancholy: A feeling of thoughtful sadness, often without cause. • Adjective or noun.

26. Vocabulary 1.1 • Hypnotic: tending to induce sleep; entrancing. • Adjective.

27. Vocabulary 1.1 • Obligated: compelled, responsible for. • Verb.

28. Vocabulary 1.1 • Inclined: having a tendency or willingness to do something • Verb.

29. Vocabulary 1.2 – “The Hearth & The Salamander” • Incinerate • Trajectory • Abstract • Proclivities • Condemnation • Heresy

30. Vocabulary 1.2 • Incinerate: to burn entirely to ashes. • Verb.

31. Vocabulary 1.2 • Trajectory: the path of a moving object. • Noun.

32. Vocabulary 1.2 • Abstract: theoretical; not practical or easy to understand • Adjective.

33. Vocabulary 1.2 • Proclivities: natural inclination or tendency • Noun.

34. Vocabulary 1.2 • Condemnation: a judgment of guilt and disapproval • Noun.

35. Vocabulary 1.2 • Heresy: sacrilege; a belief that is strongly opposed to the popular custom or belief. • Noun.

36. Vocabulary 1.3 – “The Hearth & The Salamander” • Ravenous • Fathoms • Cacophony • Bestial • Dreary • Gullet

37. Vocabulary 1.3 • Ravenous: desperately hungry; famished • After waking up from her overdose, Mildred was ravenous. • Adjective.

38. Vocabulary 1.3 • Fathom: depth of water; more specifically a unit of nautical measurement (6 feet) • I looked over the edge of the boat and stared into the dark fathoms below. • Noun.

39. Vocabulary 1.3 • Cacophony: a harsh and unpleasant mixture of sounds. • The cacophony in the cafeteria gave me a headache. • Noun.

40. Vocabulary 1.3 • Bestial: beastlike, carnal, brutally inhuman • The convict’s bestial behavior earned him a life sentence. • Adjective.

41. Vocabulary 1.3 • Dreary: dull, boring, sorrowful. • The funeral was a dreary affair. • Adjective.

42. Vocabulary 1.3 • Gullet: the throat or esophagus. • If you don’t stop interrupting me, I’m going to karate chop you in the gullet. • Noun.

43. EQ: How can I add words to my working vocabulary? • Section 1.1 • Hearth • Mausoleum • Melancholy • Hypnotic • Obligated • Inclined Section 1.2 Incinerate Trajectory Abstract Proclivities Condemnation Heresy Section 1.3 Ravenous Fathoms Cacophony Bestial Dreary Gullet

44. Vocabulary 2.1: “The Sieve & the Sand” • Sieve • Intuitively • Profusion • Arsonist • Insidious • Trifle

45. Vocabulary 2.1: “The Sieve & The Sand” • Sieve: a strainer used for separating coarse from fine parts. Alternatively, a person who can not keep a secret. • I pressed the sugar through a sieve to get rid of the lumps before making cheesecake. • Noun.

46. Vocabulary 2.1: “The Sieve & The Sand” • Intuitively: insightfully, naturally known without effort. • The boy drove intuitively, without much instruction from his parents. • Adverb.

47. Vocabulary 2.1: “The Sieve & The Sand” • Profusion: abundance, great amount. • There was a profusion of marshmallows and chocolate at the bonfire. • Noun.

48. Vocabulary 2.1: “The Sieve & The Sand” • Arsonist: one who intentionally and recklessly sets fire to another’s property for destructive purposes • The police captured the serial arsonist who had incinerated several homes in the area. • Noun.

49. Vocabulary 2.1: “The Sieve & The Sand” • Insidious: secretly treacherous and deceitful • The seemingly friendly girl was actually an insidious enemy. • Adjective.

50. Vocabulary 2.1: “The Sieve & The Sand” • Trifle:a matter or object of little to no value; something utterly trivial. • I thought having my phone out in class was a trifle, but my teacher felt otherwise. • Noun.