Fahrenheit 451

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Montag hat als Kind vergeblich versucht, Sand in ein Sieb zu füllen; Sand symbolisiert das Wissen, was er gerne über Bücher hätte, aber sein Gehirn wie ein Sieb ist ,,Burning Bright" - deutet auf die Stadt hin, die in Feuer aufgeht, steht für Montags ehemaliges Leben, die Gesellschaft und deren Ideale, die durch die Atombomben verbrennen - Mythos des Phönix -> Schicksal der Stadt, zu Asche zu werden und sich daraus neu und besser aufzubauen inted third person narrator, follows Montag through the story and objectively portrays the society, his thoughts & Peelings on malty THEMES Censorship & technology determine the life of society books are banned, resulting in a kind of censorship of society the ownership of books is even punishable (strafbar) the censorship has not come from the state, but from society → the new Media have made people have a shorter attention span, so they do. nt have the patience to red Humankid's Need of connection • Montag realizes that one-> - he has no genuine relationship with any- catalysts of his journey • he sees the unnamed woman's deep bond with her books, a desire for such a connection is sparked within him especially the lack of intimacy with his wife •Faber explains, this issuss are not only from missing books, but: -time to think -right to carry out odions based on what we learn from the interactions -keep us feeling humble as we examine the world around us Value of knowledge journey driven by a hunger of knowledge •Clarisse & Faber invite him to study parts of himself and his world, that he had previously devalued. becomes aware that immediate stimulation rather than meaningful ex- periences surround him, begins to wonder what life would be like if he dug below the surface of his reality SYMBOLISM Technology • has taken over, works as a symbol of the characters isolation from each other and the world around them 2.B Mildred leamed to read lips so she doesn't have to disconnect her earbuds Nature represents possibility · Clarisse's love of nature opens Montags eyes to the physical world surrounding •he finds the book people & his new life in nature Fire destructive: -depth and knowledge are absent be the government sanctions the burning of all books the fiery bombe destroy the city wreative -the dust jachet group gathers around a fire for comfort as connect w. M. -burned city opens path to try to share their knowledge with the city Faber - was a professor before books were banned - is representative of the people who stand idly (leichtsinnig) by watching atrocity (Grausamkeit) affect other people, keeping their hands down to avoid trouble - - he feels ashamed that he is not doing more but doesn't snap out of his inaction until Montag rips pages out of a bible in front of him Clarice McClellan - 17 years old neighbour helps Montag to change his mind, inspired him - was an outsider that the government keeps tabs on - killed by a car Captain Beatty Montags supervisor - well-read and able to quote from memory but uses his knowledge to enforce the government line that books cause unhappiness bc they contradict each other The Mechanical Hound - piece of machinery used to hunt down anyone suspected of owning books personified to seem as alive as the other characters - is as relentless (unerbittlich) as the technology and government Millie (Mildred) - preferably be numb - American consumerism personified complete lack of imagination Structure (3 major parts, classic hero's journey in mythology): - Departure: In the hero's departure, the hero is challenged to act, he can either continue his humdrum existence or break the law to own and read books - Initiation: During the initation segment of their journey, the hero's chosen path is blocked by obstacles they must overcome - Return: Hero overcomes their challenges, is transformed and must return to their starting point to complete the journey cycle - Montag is able to evade capture by the hounds and the government, as he is protected by the nature they offer him a liquid concoction that changes his chemical scent, leaving him undetectable by the hounds - after the city is bombed, he is a new man, remember where he met his wife, begins to recite books The dystapical novel „Fahrenheit 451“, written in 1953 by Ray Bradbury is a futuristic science fiction novel showing the dangers of censorship. It reflects the fears that manifest during America's ,,Atomic Age “, during which arms races and development of weapons of mass destructions made tensions high. The novel explores a men's search for deeper meaning in life after a strange neighbour asks him if he's happy. When he realizes that he is not, in fact, happy, he begins to harbour an obsession towards books and turns to them for answers. He quits his job as a fireman (book burner) and risks everything to reject the censorship imposed by the authorities. Amid a blossoming war, Montag finds hope that he may be able to help society in its rebuilding phase once the war is over by brining literature and philosophy to society once again. Fahrenheit 451 is divided into three parts: "The heart and the salamander”, “The sieve and the Sand”, and “Burning bright”. Fahrenheit 451 is set in a future dystopian society where books are outlawed and fireman are responsible for burning them. The novel tells the story of Guy Montag, a fireman who finds himself questioning his life and those around him after meeting his new neighbour, Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse is different from everyone else and her inquisitive free-thinking personality leaves him rattled. The novel was written after world war 2 and criticizes intellectually oppressive political climate of that period. The themes attributed to the novel are the censorship in the 1950s, the book burning in Nazi Germany (1933), explosion of a nuclear weapon, individual vs. society, importance of literature, propaganda, paradoxes, hope, reformation of society, life and death. The story centres on a man named Guy Montag, who is fireman, and his job is to burn books and the houses that hold them. All fireman wear uniforms with number 451 because it refers to the temperature in Fahrenheit at which books burn. Typically, dystopia means a pessimistic vision of future societies. Often, it deals with a society that relies on the extreme control if its members, often characterized by a non- democratic form of government and the suppression of the individual. The main aim of dystopia is to criticise negative tendencies in contemporary societies, which, if unaddressed may become uncontrollable in the future. Characteristic themes are discrimination, bad living conditions, war and terrorism, no policy, absolute control by the system and as a result limited freedom. Developments in a dystopian world are usually permeated by destruction, shown as inequality, no social mobility, technological under- or overdevelopment and destroyed nature. It's impossible to reach world peace because there's a global government with world leaders who decide on their own. Living in a dystopian world means: high crime rates, conflicts for resources, destroyed cities and infrastructure, diseases, death, selfish and collapsing people who only care for themselves Dystopian aspects in Fahrenheit 451: In Fahrenheit 451, the most obvious dystopian element is the futuristic technology, for example the TV walls, wireless headphones and the mechanical hound. Moreover, the citizens in the novel are brainwashed by the government, who controls media consume while it's the only knowledge source. The society obey the law while having utopian expressions, especially they don't even care about the war. The people believe that the ban of books keep the peace and follow the oppressive government, who is banishing books. Values from before don't matter. Last but not least, the rebellious protagonist Montag turns against their system by reading books, saying them and spreading his knowledge. Relationship between Mildred and Montag: At the beginning of the novel, Montag thinks their relationship is just fine and he tries to convince himself he's happy. But after Mildred's suicide attempt, which she didn't even noticed by herself, he begins to think about if they are both really happy. Montag can't remember when Mildred and he first met, what's a little strange, because normally you don't forget something so special about someone you love. In general, they are not really emotionally connected to each other, they feel no love, no real conversation, it doesn't seem like they're married and living together, the only thing they share is their home They do not have the same idea and view of life, because Montag has a strong character development after he has started questioning the ideology of the state, like reading books and questioning if he is doing the right thing with his job. Mildred on the other hand, accepts everything from the state as she doesn't see the problem behind it. In the end, she calls the alarm on her own husband, as a result she is loyal to society but to her husband. She was never close to him. Mildred - Middle aged - Even paler and thinner - Dull eyes cares about her appearance - Hardly has any thoughts - Abiding by the government rules, don't question pallor walls - Her thoughts are in line with the government ideas Clarisse Young - Pale, thin - Shining eyes - Calls herself crazy - Her appearance doesn't match the social norms - A critical thinker with own ideas - Keeps opposing ideas of the government - Feels uncomfortable about the social behaviour of her peers, shocked that they kill themselves, not talk - Has rebellious thoughts, loves to meet new people and likes to see through them, cares for others and their - Always avoiding conversations - Little empathy - Likes to watch TV - Married to Montag - Distanced attitude towards each other - Has 2 friends who also like watching parlour walls - Unemotional, cold and obscure - She distracts her real feelings by watching TV in order to feel happy - While thinking she is happy Mildred is deeply depressed and attempts suicide - Character is standing for the ideals of the dystopian government - Her loss of individualism and dull life are triggers for guy Montag's will for change Comparing Mildred and Clarisse: opinions - Has a close relationship with Montag who is her neighbour - Lives with her uncle who also rejects the ideologies of the government - Emotional character - Likes nature and rain - Appears to be happy despite being excluded from society - - Symbolizes the reminder for our world in the dystopian society