English 101

Summer Reading Assignment

Dear Incoming Ninth Grader,

We are very excited to meet you and welcome you into our 101 classes next fall. To continue building your
skills as a student of literature and to help you start the year strong, you are expected to read Ray Bradbury’s
novel, Fahrenheit 451 over the summer.

You will need to buy your own copy of this book. We strongly recommend the Simon and Schuster publication
(ISBN: 1451673310), but any will do. In addition to reading the novel, you will be annotating the book as you
go, so we highly recommend a hard copy, if possible.

Read carefully and critically, annotating quality passages related to two (2) thematic ideas of your choosing
from the list that follows. Make certain to have marked passages throughout the work, not just during the first
50 pages. Once finished reading the whole of the text, you will select the BEST three passages illustrative of
each thematic idea, and construct a set of notes as illustrated by the attached sample.

Upon your return, you will utilize these annotations and the document that you create to assist you with two (2)
in class assignments: a graded discussion addressing the text and an essay exploring one of the larger themes
of the book as a whole.

Should you have any questions while completing the assignment, please contact Mr. Cicoria at
ccicoria@asparis.fr.

Have a wonderful summer and enjoy Fahrenheit 451!

Sincerely,
Ms. Crocker and Ms. Colina

Your Task:

1. Select TWO (2) thematic ideas from the list that follows, and annotate/highlight a variety of examples/
instances as you read the text:
 different forms of courage
 the purpose and effects of censorship (banning certain books or ideas)
 the value of reading to individuals and society
 the difference between happiness and pleasure
 the use and abuse of technology

2. Of those instances that you have annotated, identify the three (3) most significant moments where each
thematic idea occurs in the text. Then, consider and discuss what larger ideas seem to connect these
moments and try to draw a conclusion about the larger messages Bradbury seems to be communicating
about this issue/idea.

3. Using this information, construct a set of notes similar to the one that follows. You should recreate a
version of the grid that follows and type your notes. You will be submitting your notes to www.turnitin.com
when the assignment is due.

4. Make certain to look at the sample for clarification.

5. This assignment will be due the second week of classes and will be submitted to www.turnitin.com. It will be
graded as a minor assignment.
Sample Notes:

Thematic Idea: different forms of courage

Document the Summarize the Situation Occurring 1. Discuss how the situation relates to and reveals
Precise in the Text (in your own words) the larger thematic idea (2 points)
Location (2 points) 2. Draw a conclusion about the larger thematic
(1 point)
message(s) that Bradbury seems to be
communicating through this instance (1 point)

The dialogue The main character, Montag,
exchange speaks with Clarisse for the first
starting at the time, and she describes herself as
top of page 5 “crazy” in part because she likes
to about the to smell things and really look at
middle of the the real world. In the
page conversation, she says that she
isn’t afraid of Montag, even
though he is a fireman, and even
though most people are.
This exchange shows Clarisse’s courage in her
willingness to speak with someone that most
people in her society try to avoid. That everyone
is afraid says a lot about the potential harm that
could come as a result of speaking to a fireman
about non-normal behavior, yet Clarisse didn’t
hesitate to speak with Montag. Also, the fact that
Clarisse is not ashamed of being labeled as
“crazy” for doing those things that interest her,
even if they are different from the norms of her
society shows courage as well. She is willing to
be her own person even if that means
punishment, which takes a lot of mental strength.

Bradbury seems to be saying that being oneself,

even if that means going against the norms of
society, requires courage and should be
respected.
Your Notes (36 points):
Thematic Idea #1: Different forms of courage
Document Summarize the Situation in the Text
the Precise (2 points)
Location
(1 point)
The last The main character, Montag brought a
paragraph of book from his room while Mildred’s
page 126 till friends were talking and asked them if
page 128. they wanted to listen to a poem from
the book. On the radio transmitter,
Faber, an old professor that loves
books warned him that he is going to do
something stupid, but Montag didn’t
Example #1
listen and opened the book. Mildred
told her friends that a fireman could
take a book home to show how stupid
people are to be in love with books.
The end of Beatty made Montag burn his own
page 154 to house, because he found out that
155 Montag has books in his house that he
did not throw away. Here, Beatty was
talking about what mess Montag made
with his life, and Montag replied by
Example #2
striking Beatty with his flamethrower,
and the other firemen next. He also
killed the Mechanical Hound (A robot
that protects the firemen), but before it
died, the hound stabbed Montag with its
needle.
The last Montag crept inside Mr. Black’s house
paragraph of (Mr. Black was a fireman) and hid a
page 167 book inside. Montag wanted to show
how it feels when your house burns,
because Mr. Black has done this to a
lot of people. Then Montag headed to
Example #3
Faber’s house hoping he would not get
caught by the police.
1. Discuss how the situation relates to and
reveals the larger thematic idea (2 points)
2. Draw a conclusion about the larger
thematic message(s) that Bradbury seems
to be communicating through this instance
(1 point)
1. Montag showed courage by taking out
a book from his room and showing it to
Mildred’s friends. He knew that there
are negative consequences if
Mildred’s friends told the police that he
has a book in his house. But Montag
didn’t listen to Faber and read a poem
to the friends which made them upset.
2. Ray Bradbury is trying to show how
one must someday, somehow tell the
truth, even if there might be harsh
consequences.
1. Here, Montag showed courage by
striking his own captain with a
flamethrower. He knew that he needs
to do this to take his own path and
start searching for book lovers. This is
also the time where Montag became a
criminal, by killing some firemen who
burn houses instead for saving them
from burning.
2. Sometimes, you need to sacrifice your
beloved ones to go the right way.
1. Even when Montag was injured, he
showed courage by sneaking into a
fireman’s house and put a book inside
it. This shows that Montag has put his
mission, (which is to show people how
important books are) before his life.
2. Ray Bradbury might be trying to show
us that it requires courage to do
something that is against the law but is
trying to help prove the government
wrong.
Your Notes (36 points):
Thematic Idea #2:
Document Summarize the Situation in the Text
the Precise (2 points)
Location
(1 point)
The second Montag, the main character came from
paragraph on work, and saw his wife in the bed, with
page 20, near seashells in her ears. She was not
the middle of asleep, and Montag saw her sleeping
the page. pill bottle on the floor, empty, which he
had just filled yesterday! The seashells
that she had in her ears were small
Example #1
radios that just talk and give music to
Mildred, Montag’s wife. She has them
on every night for 2 years!
The dialogue Montag was not feeling well one
exchange in morning because he burned a woman
the second in her house because she had hidden
paragraph of books there. He couldn’t find Clarisse
page 65. walking outside every time he went to
work. Montag thought that he would
Example #2
take a day off, and asked Mildred to
turn the parlour (a huge TV the size of a
wall) off. Mildred replied by saying “But
that is my family!” Montag asked if she
would to it for a sick man. Then, Mildred
said she would turn the volume down,
but didn’t even go in the room.
The last Montag is at Faber’s house, trying to
paragraph of find a person that could help him print
page 117 more books, which is illegal. Faber calls
himself a “cowardly old fool for making
this seashell type radio transmitter, and
when you put it in your ear, you can talk
Example #3
to the person on the other end. Faber
told him that he would help Montag
make the right decisions by talking
through the radio transmitter.
3. Discuss how the situation relates to and
reveals the larger thematic idea (2 points)
4. Draw a conclusion about the larger
thematic message(s) that Bradbury seems
to be communicating through this instance
(1 point)
1. Mildred never talks these seashell
radios out of her ears at night, and she
does this daily! That means that she
barely talks to Montag at night. Mildred
probably can’t sleep without these
seashells.
2. The author is trying to show that these
small headphones have made a
significant difference in the
community. Day to day, this society is
becoming anti-social, by using
technology the wrong way.
1. Here we can see that Mildred
considers the TV walls her family,
even though they are just nonliving
colorful led pixels! This shows how
much this society likes entertainment,
they sleep with music and voice, they
wake up to TV shows, and can’t even
turn of the TV for a sick family
member.
2. Bradbury is trying to show us how
much this society is addicted to
technology, and how they use
technology the wrong way.
1. Montag is trying to seek help from
people that like books, and found
Faber, that has made a radio
transmitter. This can help Montag
make the right decisions and try to
make people interested in books.
2. Ray Bradbury is trying to show that
there are people that would help you
choose your path, and there are
others who will not agree with your
path, so try to see the difference in the
2 types.