Fahrenheit 451

Discussion Questions

Directions:  Choose FIVE of the questions below to respond to in detail.  Click on the Response link following each question and add your response in the comment box.  You are encouraged to respond to other student's comments as well.

1. Montag comes to learn that "firemen are rarely necessary" because "the public itself stopped reading of its own accord." Bradbury wrote his novel in 1953: To what extent has his prophecy come true today? Response

2. Clarisse describes a past that Montag has never known: one with front porches, gardens, and rocking chairs. What do these items have in common, and how might their removal have encouraged Montag's repressive society? Response

3. "Don't ask to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library," Faber tells Montag. "Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore." How good is this advice? Response

4. One of the most significant of the many literary allusions in Fahrenheit 451 occurs when Montag reads Matthew Arnold's poem "Dover Beach." What is the response of Mildred's friends, and why does Montag kick them out of his house? Response

5.  It may surprise the reader to learn that Beatty is quite well read. How can Beatty's knowledge of and hatred for books be reconciled? Response

6. Unlike Mrs. Hudson, Montag chooses not to die in his house with his books. Instead he burns them, asserting even that "it was good to burn" and that "fire was best for everything!" Are these choices and sentiments consistent with his character? Are you surprised that he fails to follow in her footsteps? Response

7. Beatty justifies the new role of firemen by claiming to be "custodians of [society's] peace of mind, the focus of [the] understandable and right dread of being inferior." What does he mean by this, and is there any sense that he might be right? Response

8. How does the destruction of books lead to more happiness and equality, according to Beatty? Does his lecture to Montag on the rights of man sound like any rhetoric still employed today? Response

9. Why does Montag memorize the Old Testament's Ecclesiastes and the New Testament's Revelation? How do the final two paragraphs of the novel allude to both biblical books? Response

10. Are there any circumstances where censorship might play a beneficial role in society? Are there some books that should be banned?  Response

11. If you had to memorize a single book or risk its extinction, which book would you choose? Response

When you have finished answering your questions, look back at the responses you and your classmates have given.  Which ones are particulary strong?  What makes them so?  On the next page, choose two or three responses (write the question number and wikiusername) and explain what makes the responses effective.

Questions from: http://www.neabigread.org/books/fahrenheit451/fahrenheit451_06.php