Fidaa Janoudi

Read On Quarter 4 Book Summary

Title: Fahrenheit 451
Author: Ray Bradbury
Genre: Fiction
Summary: This book holds a strong controversial Utopian/ Dystopian Society. Books are
forbidden in Bradbury's world and firefighters work to burn them. One specific firefighter, Guy
Montag, worked with all his might by burning books. Slowly he realized that books were
essential for life and worked his way to rebel. He finds himself a new and book-filled life.
Question 1:
"What is the main character like? What problem does he or she have and how does he or she face
that problem?"
The main character Guy Montag, is a nice obedient man. He took on the family business
of being a fireman and he enjoys his job. After a while, he came across many clues that showed
him the path to disobeying the unjust government. Since his town believed that reading books is
a
cause of stupidity, they are forbidden. Montag then decides to sneak some books home and have
a look for himself. He eventually gets caught and he has to decide what to do with his wrong
doings. That was his big problem. With the help of his friend Faber, he was able to run away and
find a new life with books. "Now there was only the cold river and Montag floating in a sudden
peacefulness, away from the city and the lights in the chase, away from everything" (140). This
passage was right after Montag escaped from the city. It merely shows the hardships that Montag
has gone through in order to find peace.
Question 2:
"Where does the story take place? Why is this setting important to the story?"
This story takes place in a dystopian/ utopian society. Dystopian means corrupt world,
where everything is being taken over by corrupted minds. A Utopian society is merely the
opposite, where the world is perfect and taken under absolute control. Personally, I think its
important to mention that the setting is both because it really comes down to perspective. Some
people may think its a corrupt world while others may think its a perfect one. I also think that in
Montag's perspective, he thought that the world he lived in was one hell of a dystopian world. He
even mentions, Our civilization is flinging itself to pieces. Stand back from the centrifuge (84).
Montag meant that after he discovered the depths of his torn down world, he thinks that its
metaphorically similar to a fire. Considering his job, he's really knowledgeable about fires and
how they work. The centrifuge is the middle of the fire where the fire sparks and roars with its
blazing soul. His world without hypothetical knowledge is as dangerous as the centrifuge of the
fire. Montag meant well.