Ideas from my classmates

While reading Fahrenheit 451 the discussions with other classmates were helpful. We helped each other understand things that confused us. For example, we weren't sure if the books were the only thing burned or if the house was burned with the books. After we talked about it we thought only the books were burned because the houses were fireproof. Reading other classmates blogs was also helpful. Seeing what other students thought about the book made me think about the ideas that they brought up. In Lindsay's blog she says "Montag does come across to be too busy to think of everything in such detail like Clarisse does." She brings up a good point. The government has so many things for the people to do that they don't have time to think about anything else. If the people had time to think they might realize that the society wasn't always like this. Clarisse is different from the other people in the society because she takes the time to think about the little things. She doesn't seem brainwashed like the other people in the society. The blog is a good way of seeing what other students think and respond about the book.

How is the world in the novel like our world?

The dystopia in Fahrenheit 451 doesn't give the people much freedom, but in our world today we have a lot of freedom. In their society they are not allowed to read books. We have the constitution. It gives us freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The people in dystopia think that their society has always been like this because the government has brainwashed the people. The firemen in the dystopia burn the books, so that they can burn the past. Our firemen put fires out and save the lives of people. Freedom is what our government stands for, but this society is very different from ours. They take away the privileges of the people and brainwash them to not think. By giving the people activities, like sports, gives them less time to think and learn. When Beatty asks Montag if he likes sports, Montag says yes. I think he was taught to like the sports because it is what he has been doing a lot of life. They play sports in school instead of learning and it is an activity to stop them from thinking about other things. In our society we have time to just sit and think, but their government takes this away from them. The society in Fahrenheit 451 is very different from our society today.

How does the government control the lives of the people?

In Fahrenheit 451 the government erases the past, so the people don't know that the society was different before. The firemen burn the books because the books are written about the past. The government also brainwashes the society to think that books are bad. When a person has books in their house the firemen come and burn it. If I lived in this society I would be afraid to have books in my house if this would happen. The government uses books as scare tactics. The society thinks "The books are to remind us what asses and fools we are." The government somewhat brainwashes the people to think this. By telling them that the books are about how they are "asses and fools" makes them not want to read the books. The government can also control the amount of education that the people in the society get. By shortening classes and extending the amount of playing sports at school the society can decrease the amount of education that the people get. By changing certain aspects of the society the government can control how much the people know about the past. Since the people think the government was always like this, then they don't know any different. The people can only be taught what the government will allow. In the book Clarisse tells Montage about her uncle talking about front porches. Her uncle said "No front porches. My uncle says there used to be front porches. And people sat there sometimes at night, talking when they wanted to talk, rocking, and not talking when they didn't want to talk. Sometimes they just sat their and thought about things, turned things over"(63). The government got rid of front porches because it gave people time to sit and think. The government doesn't want the people to have time to think. When people have time to think they might think about what the government is hiding from them. By getting rid of something like a front porch the government can control what the people will do or if they will have time to think.

Thoughts on discussion

This discussion was very helpful and helped me see other ideas the people had about the book. Our group wasn't sure if the books were burned only or if anything else in the house was burned. We also talked about the government erasing the past. The government burns the books because the books are written about the past. When you get rid of the books then you erase the past. The government also controls what the people in the society learn at the school. By playing games and sports at school most of the time leaves less time for learning. In Lindsay's blog she wrote "In this society, all of the people seem to be completely brainwashed of their past." She is describing how the people are being "brainwashed" by the government. The government is controlling what the people know. The people in the society believe that it always has been this way and always will be this way.

Why don't they know?

In Fahrenheit 451 the past is completely erased. How do the people not know anything about the past? The people could be brainwashed into thinking their society was always like this. In their society books are illegal. Some of the books describe the past, which could change the way the people think about the past. Right now the people don't think about the past because they were told to think it was the same. By making books illegal the government can stop the people from knowing about the past. The government also controls the education of the people in the society. Education makes us think and question things, but the people in Fahrenheit 451 were taught that their past was always the same. Their most effective method in keeping the society from knowing about the past is education. The government can control what the people know and learn. Also the activities that are in the society are effective because if the people are busy then they won't have time to question or think about what they are being taught. For example, Montag's wife Mildred enjoys talking to the television which takes away time for thinking. She is so busy with the television that she doesn't have time to think about other things like the past. In school the people play more than they are taught. Beatty was explaining this to Montag in a lecture he said "School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually gradually neglected, finally almost ignored. Life is immediate, the job counts, pressure lies all about work."(55). Many of the subjects were dropped, so the people would play in school. If the people aren't learning then they won't question how the society used to be. All of these things contribute to the people not knowing about how the world used to be.

Thoughts About Fahrenheit 451

"Montag had only an instant to read a line, but it blazed in his mind for the next minute as if stamped there with fiery steel. 'Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine.' He dropped the book. Immediately, another fell into his arms."(37)

The words in this quote really stood out to me. The author uses strong words like "blazed into his mind" and "stamped there with fiery steel." I think this quote is significant to the book because it is about books. Montage dropped the book and another one falls into his arms. It is almost like the books want his to read them. He is so curious about the books that he remembers things like the quote he read from the book. Montag has wondered about the past ever since he spoke to Clarisse. She made him wonder a bout the past. The books have to be burned because they are written about the past. The society doesn't want the people to know about the past so they burn the books. People that don't know about the past are less likely to ask questions about the past.

Why is Montag unhappy

There are many things that cause Montag to be unhappy. When he first met Clarisse he started thinking about things that never crossed his mind before. For example, Clarisse brought up the idea that firemen used to put out fires and now Montag is wondering if it is true. Clarisse changed his life. Onetime Clarisse said"Are you happy?"(10). When Montag first heard this he thought of course, but when he really thought about it he questioned himself. I don't think Montag likes his job as a fireman. Further into the book Montag wants to quit his job. He compares his happiness to a mask. It is like he is covering up his sadness with a smile. Montag also notices how unhappy his wife is when she overdosed on sleeping pills. In this society things like overdosing happen all the time. I personally don't think that anyone in the society is happy. Montag is realizing that he isn't happy living the way that he is living his life.