The temperature at which paper burns… Fahrenheit 451 The temperature at which paper burns…

"If someone gives you ruled paper... "...write the other way."

A Preview… Think far into the future… after two atomic wars A world where books are strictly forbidden… A world where firefighters seek out knowledge, and burn it to the ground… One person stands out… Would you be willing to die for books?

Characters Guy Montag – Protagonist; stands against book burning Mildred Montag – Guy’s wife; lost in a world of false reality Captain Beatty – Antagonist Professor Faber – forms an alliance with Guy

Themes Censorship How far should one go to protect another’s innocence? Does this yield ignorance? Knowledge vs. Ignorance Are we safer if we do not have knowledge? Are we truly happy or merely conditioned?

Symbols Hearth and the Salamander (Hearth is a symbol for home & warmth – The salamander is an official fireman symbol & and an animal believed to be unaffected by fire) Sieve & the Sand (A sieve is a sort of sifter – symbolic of knowledge (sand) not being absorbed quickly enough – example: reading a book as quickly as possible in a vain attempt to keep all of the knowledge it holds.) The Phoenix: mythological bird that rises from the ashes

Dystopia A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, through an exaggerated worst-case scenario, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system.

Characteristics • Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society. • Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted. • A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society. • Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance. • Citizens have a fear of the outside world. • Citizens live in a dehumanized state. • The natural world is banished and distrusted. • Citizens conform to uniform expectations. Individuality and dissent are bad. • The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world.

Types of Dystopia • Corporate control: One or more large corporations control society through products, advertising, and/or the media. Examples include Minority Report and Running Man. • Bureaucratic control: Society is controlled by a mindless bureaucracy through a tangle of red tape, relentless regulations, and incompetent government officials. Examples in film include Brazil. • Technological control: Society is controlled by technology—through computers, robots, and/or scientific means. Examples include The Matrix, The Terminator, and I, Robot. • Philosophical/religious control: Society is controlled by philosophical or religious ideology often enforced through a dictatorship or theocratic government.

The Dystopian Protagonist • often feels trapped and is struggling to escape. • questions the existing social and political systems. • believes or feels that something is terribly wrong with the society in which he or she lives. • helps the audience recognizes the negative aspects of the dystopian world through his or her perspective.

Section Two Notes Allusions Benjamin Franklin – 1st firefighter & creator of the fire brigade “Play the man, Master Ridley…” (36) – refers to a 16th century Bishop that was burned alive because he rejected Catholic doctrine Tower of Babel – refers to Genesis in the bible where it is said that God created diversity “People want fun…don’t we give them fun” –allusion to the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence Little Black Sambo / Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Sambo is a character in the book UTC, and the term has long been associated with racism FABER and MONTAG – names of a pencil manufacturer and a paper company Book of Job – allusion to the bible story where Job must endure great struggles but still remains faithful. There is irony in the fact that Montag chooses this to memorize Cheshire Cat – grinning, mischevious character in Alice in Wonderland Book of Ruth – another bible allusion, refers to people as sheep that have gone astray