Fahrenheit 451 Theme Handout

Semester 2, blog post 4

Group members: Preetham Kastury, Christine Kim, Michele Wang, Kate Madigan, Nick McArthur

Bell 6

Theme 2: Individual self expression is important.

Timeline:

Part 1: The Hearth and the Salamander

• Montag lives in a society under the rule of a totalitarian government, which seems to impose several rules that limit self expression, such as burning literature.
• “‘Do you ever read any of the books you burn?” (Bradbury, 5).
• Montag meets Clarisse and begins thinking about the thoughtful questions she asks him.
• “Of course I’m happy. What does she think? I’n not? he asked the quiet rooms,” (Bradbury, 8).
• Montag begins to realize the shallowness of his wife, Mildred.
• “The most significant memory he had of Mildred, really, was of a little girl in a forest without trees (how odd!) or rather a little girl lost on a plateau where there used to be trees…” (Bradbury, 42).

Part 2: The Siege and the Sand

• Montag reads books and realizes that his life has been unsatisfactory.
• “Now, he knew that he was two people, that he was, above all, Montag who knew nothing, who did not even know himself a fool, but only suspected it,” (Bradbury, 100).

Part 3: Burning Bright

• Montag can no longer carry out his job and burn books, since he has learned self expression.
• “‘Give a man a few lines of verse and he thinks he’s Lord of all Creation,’ Beatty said,” (Bradbury, 111).
• Montag wants to change everything about his life, and kills Beatty.
• “He saw Beatty, a torch, not moving, fluttering out on the grass,” (Bradbury, 116).
• Montag no longer realizes who he is or what he stands for.
• “This was all he wanted now. Some sign that the immense world would accept him and give him the long time he needed to think all the things that must be thought,” (Bradbury, 136).
• Montag sees a difference in the fire, which symbolizes the change in himself.
• “That small motion, the white and red color, a strange fire because it meant a different thing to him. It was not burning, it was warming,” (Bradbury, 139).
• Montag meets Granger and the men who memorize books, and now starts to understand who he has come to be.
• “‘I don’t belong with you,’ said Montag, at last, slowly. ‘I’ve been an idiot all the way.’ ‘We’re used to that. We all made the right kind of mistakes, or we wouldn’t be here,’” (Bradbury, 143).

Quotes:

Part 1: The Hearth and the Salamander

“Are you happy?’ she said. ‘ Am I what?’ he cried,” (Bradbury, 7).

Part 2: The Sieve and the Sand

“...and I suddenly realized I didn’t like them at all, and I didn’t like myself at all any more. And I thought maybe it would be best if the firemen themselves were burnt,” (Bradbury, 67).

Part 3: Burning Bright

“He burnt the bedroom walls and the cosmetics chest because he wanted to change everything,” (Bradbury 114).


How Theme is Important/Relevant in Modern Society:

• Individual Self Expression is important to the understanding of the story because it helps the reader comprehend the struggle that Montag underwent throughout the novel and what Montag is fighting for.
• This theme is very relevant in society today and good to be aware of so that everyone is accepting of other people and their personal expressions.