Fahrenheit 451 Flashcards
What is a Simile?
A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another with the use of “Like” or “As”
What is a Metaphor?
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable
What is Foreshadowing?
A warning or indication of (a future event).
What is Irony?
The expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
What is an Oxymoron?
A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g., faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).
The first section of Fahrenheit 451 is called “The Hearth and the Salamander.” Explain the significance of the title.
The hearth, or fireplace, is a traditional symbol of the home, and the salamander is one of the official symbols of the firemen, as well as what they call their fire trucks. Both of these symbols have to do with fire, the dominant image of Montag’s life-the hearth because it contains the fire that heats a home, and the salamander because of ancient beliefs that it lives in fire and is unaffected by flames. Montag enjoys his job burning books and takes great pride in it; at the beginning of the novel, it largely defines his character.
What is Alliteration?
The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Describe Clarisse McClellan and her family. What do they do late at night?
Clarisse is innocent, curious, and full of life. She doesn’t conform to the roles and regulations of the oppressive society that she and Montag live in. Clarisse mentions that she doesn’t watch the parlour walls and her family sits around and talks. This is strange to Montag whose wife is addicted to the parlour shows and has little to no experience of a family life full of conversation.
What does Montag have hidden behind the ventilator grille in his house? What effect does this create?
Books, creates foreshadowing.
What is the atmosphere of Mildred’s bedroom? What kinds of words can be used to describe the bedroom?
Cold, Marble. Dismay, Dark, Gloomy, Grim, Dreary
Somber, Melancholy.
“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door” is an example of what literary device? Why does Bradbury use this device?
Metaphor. Captain Beatty speaks these lines toward the end of “The Hearth and the Salamander” while explaining the revisionist history of firemen to Montag in his home. It is important to note that Beatty’s whole speech has an ironic sound. He defends the disintegration of authenticity in a passionate, almost regretful tone. He is willing to defend the “equalization” of society while still remaining educated himself, and denounces the use of books as weapons while freely using them that way himself. Because of these ambiguities, Beatty is the most complex character in the book, and he uses his book-educated mind, his “loaded gun,” to manipulate Montag mercilessly. One wonders, as Faber does, if he chose his job after a fall from faith in books, as he claims, or to enable himself to gain legal access to books through his position of authority.
What does Mildred consider her “parlor walls”? (How important are they to her?)
Mildred considers the characters in her parlor walls her family. One of the only reasons she doesn’t want Montag to have boos is because she is fearful of losing her parlor walls, not for Montag’s safety.
“At least once in his career, every fireman gets the itch. So, we usually let the fireman keep it for 24 hours.” In this quote, what does the “itch’ symbolize?
There curiosity.
According to Faber, which three elements are missing from modern society?
Number One: quality of information. Number Two: leisure to digest it. Number Three: the right to carry out actions based on what we learn from the interaction of the first two.
According to Granger, what does the phenix symbolize
Mankind’s ability to rebuild itself
