The Old Man and the Sea: Question 1

            Several of Ernest Hemingway’s values and attitudes are revealed in the writing in The Old Man and the Sea. One of the main values shown is respect. Respect is a reoccurring theme throughout the novel, showing its value to Hemingway. The major example of respect is between Manolin and Santiago. Even though Manolin no longer works for Santiago, he still respects him enough to look after the old man because he knows Santiago cannot. Manolin learned so much from the old man about fishing, he knows he owes him so much respect for the old man and his skills (Hemingway).   One example of this is when Santiago is done fishing and Manolin helps him bring in all of his gear. He always listens intently to the old man and never loses faith in him (Hemingway). Hemingway makes a large point of this respect because it is s important in life to show respect to others so that we can gain it in return. This is a lesson I believe that kids today need to learn. We should listen and respect our elders because they can teach us so much.  Another main value shown in the writing of The Old Man and the Sea is kindness. This goes hand in hand with the value of respect Hemingway has. Manolin shows kindness towards Santiago also. Manolin cares for the old man like a grandfather, and makes sure he is healthy and well by getting him dinner and making sure he rests comfortably (Hemingway). This is like respect because we have to do it to others so they will return the kindness to us. Manolin uses respect and kindness towards Santiago, revealing the value of them to Hemingway.

            The Old Man and the Sea is told by the perspective of Santiago, allowing us to see his reactions to Manolin’s respect and kindness towards him.   

  Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Media

         Entertainment and media are another major theme in Fahrenheit 451. Both elements are extremely essential in keeping the balance in the future United States the novel is set in. They use media to distract the country from what is really going on. If they were not brainwashed by the entertainment, they would have been able to see the wrong going on. They were just being distracted so higher powers could control them. They use a couple different forms of entertainment. The main form is used in their homes, and more specifically their family or living rooms. It is a television, but unlike the television we are used to, the ones they used are on constantly and are put on multiple walls to ensure that you can always see it (Bradbury). They can also interact with the characters on the shows to make your own fake story to avoid taking advantage of your real one. Mildred spends her days doing this and is completely out of touch with reality. If they are not in the house, they have another piece of entertainment used to distract them from their surroundings. Everyone is given a little ear piece that delivers continuous news and updates so they never have a chance to be out of the loop (Bradbury). The constant stream of media and entertainment distracts from any problem and distractions in the world.  Bradbury predicts the media will one day run our lives and brainwash us from ever having to have conversations or interactions of any kind with other people. This could possibly come out to be true. We are already at a point in society that if you are without the newest technology you are behind. We strive on technology, because it makes conversation easy and we do not have to face each other. This also causes conflict because we can say things we usually would not say. Bradbury ,may have made a very true prediction.   

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Life and Death

           A major and reoccurring theme in Fahrenheit 451 is Life and Death. Many things in the novel are described as both alive and dead. We all know that this is impossible and an oxy-moron, but the way Bradbury describes these things make it seems so real and possible. Mildred is one of the things that he describes as both alive and dead. She spends her day watching and interacting with her “family” on the three walled television (Bradbury). At the end of the day she was so brainwashed by the show that she does not even remember what had happened during it. This can be relatable to our world now, once again proving Bradbury’s very good prediction skills. Many people of our generation spend so much time watching television that they never go out and do things worthwhile and active. At the end of the day if you ask them about a certain episode they watched they might not even remember. It is like if we see an episode, we may or may not remember if we have seen of before because we watch so much of it. This makes Mildred alive and dead because she is obviously living and carrying out daily activities, but she can barely remember it, as though she was a zombie all day. Another thing described by Bradbury as both alive and dead is the old woman in the house full of books. The firemen ask the woman to exit the house and she refuses because she would rather die than live without them (Bradbury 39). Beatty also says a quote that relates to life and death: “The people in those books never lived" (Bradbury 39). This is also irony because he is in a book and never lived. They are alive and dead because some of them lived, and some did not, but reading the books makes them seem alive. The theme occurs throughout the novel in minor parts.   

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Tone

                The tone of Fahrenheit 451 is very dark and dramatic. The tone adds to the mood of the novel in that it makes it seem more mysterious and futuristic. When we think of the future, and what life will be like, we think of shiny, new, and technological things. Bradbury makes a darker and dramatic version of what the future may be like. The semi realistic world sets the stage for the over the top characters to stand out. Beatty is an evil and crazy boss, Mildred is a crazy, distant wife, Clarisse is what we think of as hippie like, but is a crazy young girl to the other characters, and Faber is the all knowing old man (Bradbury). These characters are one that could come from a movie, but make the book and tone much more dramatic and intense.

                The events in the novel also add to the tone. With the fire and burning houses the novel seems extra intense and dramatic. The world fears fire and with the constant threat of being burned or sent away to an asylum, it makes the characters live a life always being scared to mess up. Along with the fire the bombs also add the same effect, only even more scary and fatal than the fires. The bombs fall at the end of the novel, Guy knows that his wife is about to die (Bradbury 161). “The smell of death followed" (Bradbury 160). He makes it seem as though it is not all that big of a deal. If that were to happen today it would be not only a national tragedy, but a global tragedy. This is just what Bradbury wanted in order to make the book have the right tone of gloom and drama. The tone is carried out all the way through the book which makes it very memorable.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

   

Fahrenheit 451: Ignorance vs. Knowledge

            A major theme in Fahrenheit 451 is ignorance vs. knowledge. In the novel most of the people are ignorant. They are ignorant because they do not see how they are being deceived. Books are completely off limits and illegal because they are awful things to them (Bradbury). They do not realize that books are not bad at all and they are just being told not to read them so everyone can have equal advantages. To them they know a world without books, and that is fine and normal to them. They do not know what books are all about, and do not care to find out (Bradbury). They say ignorance is bliss, however in this case I do not think so. The other hand is having knowledge of what the books can bring to your life. In the novel this was usually the elderly people passing down their knowledge that books are not bad, but actually very good, to the younger generation, and so on and so forth. The people with the knowledge of these books felt empowered with so many new things, but also a little scared. The fact that they knew or had books could also get them sent to an institution, or even worse, dead (Bradbury). In the situation in the novel both knowledge or ignorance were not the best place to be, there were gains and losses with both. Choosing a side would have to be based on your interest and willingness to live on the edge or in safety. Guy chose to be on the dangerous side and choose the books. He had been collecting them for awhile, but never go t the courage to read them until he met Clarisse. She opened his eyes to the world that lived on the edge and did not play by the rules. Mildred, his wife, wanted to be on the side of ignorance and not end up arrested or dead (Bradbury). Both sides were shown and proven to have ups and downs in the novel.  

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Symbols

            Symbolism plays a major role in Fahrenheit 451. There are a couple of symbols that stood out more than others. The most notable one is fire. Fire plays several roles in the novel. It is more of a symbol of fear than anything else. Fire is used to destroy all of the books, the homes they are in, and sometimes the people living in the houses. Fire is a weapon to the firemen to scare all other people from doing something they are not supposed to, such as reading any kind of book. Beatty tells Guy, "real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences. A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it. Now, Montag, you're a burden. And fire will lift you off my shoulders, clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later" (Bradbury 115). This quote shows just how much the firemen used fire as a threat to scare anyone from doing anything wrong. This is such a major symbol because the whole novel revolves around avoiding fire in order to stay alive.

            Another symbol in Fahrenheit 451 is the opposite of fire, water. Both fire and water play an important meaning in the novel, and like their physical opposite trains, they are also symbolically opposites. Water represents life and happiness. Water obviously puts out fire and makes it stop burning and killing. In the novel it also means life to guy. When he finally escapes the police, Faber tells him to go to the men he knows. This escape for Guy happens to be through a river. This river means freedom from the death of the fire that was coming from him (Bradbury 142-143).

            The symbols of both fire and water are important to the novel that we may or may not have notices but when reflecting back on it is very clear. Bradbury made them the major ones, but also incorporated several other minor symbols as well.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Censorship

            Censorship is a major theme in Fahrenheit 451. Censorship is a major issue in our lives today, and Bradbury predicted when he wrote the novel it would be in the future also. In the novel the censorship is done by the firemen. They control what the people of the United States can read and do. They are not allowed to read any books, because they are made up stories that will make you different than all of the other people who do not read the book. Although deciding what the population can or cannot read makes them easier to control, you cannot tell people what to do without having someone revolt. "There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing" (Bradbury 51). People are always curious, and someone will always do what they are told not to. It is just human nature to be curious, and having a punishment for that would be even harder to decide on in our time. Cutting people off from something they can learn and prosper from is like stopping them from discovering something great. They could invent or discover something that could solve world problems like global warming, cancer, and other diseases or shortages. This issue that Bradbury predicted would happen in the future is prevalent now. We have censorship problems about whether the government should censor the internet and what and who can see what. The public gets extremely upset about that issue, and if it got to the point that Bradbury wrote about I cannot imagine what people would do. Thankfully the chances of that happening are extremely unlikely. Books might not be the thing being censored, but it is just one example of what could happen.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Guy Montag

                In Fahrenheit 451, the main character is Guy Montag. Guy is a fireman; only in this case the firemen burn books and starts fires rather than put them out. Guy starts out the novel as a normal man, going to work and coming home to his wife, until he meets Clarisse. Clarisse changes his world. She made him start to think about what his life was really about, and what he really believed in (Bradbury 3-10).  After thinking through his life and going to work he realizes he must make a change. He was not happy and he had just realized.  I think a lot of people can relate and benefit from Guy’s story and journey. Some people are not happy with the person they are or have to become. We have to be honest with ourselves and it starts with reflecting within and fixing what you do not like. I think that this is another lesson that Bradbury unintentionally added to the novel. One characteristic that Guy mostly shows is bravery. Some may think he was foolish for ruining by leaving his job, his wife, and his home (Bradbury). Personally I find him brave for being true to himself and doing what he thinks is right and standing up for it. Guy also has a bit of a crazy characteristic also. A normal person does not burn their boss alive (Bradbury 119)! He seems a little crazy because he is overrun by emotions and hatred for Beatty. He does not understand why someone would ban books if they were so interesting and full of information that can be so useful. He might have gone a little crazy, but overall he was just extremely passionate about doing what he thought was right and never backing down. I think we can all admire someone for doing that. It takes strength and courage to stand up for yourself, even when others tell you no.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 8

            Fahrenheit 451 is set in futuristic United States, so it does not reflect events that took place in history, but foreshadows things that may take place in the future.  It is never clearly stated said hat time period the novel takes place in, but we know it is sometime in the future. Ray Bradbury believes that the relationships between workers and bosses should be full of respect. We see during the novel that Guy Montag treats his boss, Beatty, with great respect and kindness. He does not smart back to him, and he does not try to correct him or doubt him. When the firemen are called to the elderly women’s house, Beatty insists on burning the women alive. Instead of trying to stop him and he asks if he can change her mind and tries, but ends up failing (Bradbury 40-42). He obviously shows respect to Beatty even though he knows and believes he is very wrong to burn the books and the woman.

            Another relationship that Bradbury describes is the relationship between husband and wife. What it seems to me is that the wife stays home and the husband goes out and works. I am not absolutely sure if this is the case with everyone, but there are no female firefighters and Mildred did not go to work. There are never any points made about it in the book, but we can infer from the conversations in the book. Mildred asks permission before doing things such as the television wall, where now a woman could make that decision on her own without having to have a man tell her yes or no (Bradbury 20). They treat each other as though the man has more of the authority, although Montag is a bit of a pushover.

            I believe that Bradbury wrote the relationships like he did because in 1953, when he wrote it, this was how many relationships were. We still have respect for our bosses, but the male and female roles have drastically evened out since then.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 7

             Fahrenheit 451 was very easy and quick to read because it is an attention keeper. It was never boring and hard to put down. This was due to a couple of things different components in the book. The first way Bradbury catches and keeps the attention of the reader is by using suspense. He builds important scenes up so that they catch the attention of the reader once again, and it sticks with them as they continue to read the book. The fist scene full of suspense is when the firemen go to the house with the elderly woman who refuses to leave and wishes to be burned with her books. Then when we are feeling sad a book happens to fall in his hands. The suspense builds when he slips it into his jacket (Bradbury 39).  We are then more interested to find out what will happen next and if there will be more suspenseful moments.  Bradbury uses suspense throughout Fahrenheit 451 to keep the reader continuing to read and enjoy the novel.

            Another technique that Ray Bradbury uses in the novel is descriptive language. He describes situation very clearly so that the reader can picture the scenario in their head, and almost see themselves in the scene. “With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history" (Bradbury 3). Bradbury describes this scene with great vivid details so we can know exactly what he was trying to make us feel and see.

            Bradbury using both of those techniques in the novel makes it more effective. It keeps the reader continuing to read; therefore they don’t feel like it is work to read through the novel. This make the reason he wrote it come across more effectively. 

  Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 6

            Why do we still read Fahrenheit 451? We still read this novel because it tells us why we should read books. It shows us what life would be like if we didn’t have books, and we didn’t have access to so much knowledge and stories. Books tell and bring us so much. It teaches us so much and we can learn from the experiences the authors of many books went through and talked about. We need books because they can create escapes for us and make us feel so many emotions just from reading these stories. Bradbury was trying to get the readers to realize that without books we would have conversations like they did in the novel. We would make our decisions based on looks, and our conversations would be shallow and conceded (Bradbury 94).  We learn that we don’t judge a book by its cover, and to have respect and care for others in the books that we read.  The timelessness of the book is due to its futuristic setting and bold characters. The futuristic setting makes it so timeless because to teens and young adults reading the book, it does not feel like a classic book that is going to be long and boring. It feels like a book that they chose to read and not like something they have read before. The characters being so bold also makes it timeless. They are memorable. Guy is memorable because he changes to drastically during the book that he seems cool. Beatty is also memorable because he is like the villain, which gives the book a hero and villain feel (Bradbury). All of those things make the book great, but the readers really can learn from it also. They can learn that we cannot get so advanced with technology and new inventions that we forget the basics that got us there. We should always keep our roots so we do not end up like the people of Fahrenheit 451.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 5

         Fahrenheit 451 does not reflect history, because it takes place in the future and is foreshadowing what Bradbury thinks may happen.  In our society we are all obsessed with being equal. It is the same in the novel, only more intense than where we are now. They don’t allow books so that they cannot have a leg up on each other in a certain skill, or know something more than the other people. The people in Fahrenheit 451 all seemed brainwashed, but don’t realize it because they are used to it and it is normal to them. Guy realizes how crazy they seem after to talking to Clarisse about how the people never talk and they don’t walk around by themselves or really with anyone else (Bradbury 4). From then on he notices how true what she said was. His wife and her friends were particularly like the people Clarisse described. They talked about how much they cared about the television shows and their family on them, and how they would choose a candidate strictly based on their appearance (Bradbury 93-95). He sees how twisted and crazy that seems, but knows that to anyone else that would be normal. That is how their society behaves, odd as it seems to him and us. They care about appearances and entertainment more than anything else because they have no other references to base their thoughts and opinions on because all books and the people who read and owned the books were burned.
The books significance is that although everyone tries to make everyone else equal and the same, which is good, knowledge and skills wise we can’t. If we all know what everyone else knows, there would be no inventions, discoveries, or cures. We would talk about the same things and most likely be sick of it. We all need to be different, which I believe was the significance of the novel.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 4

              The hero of Fahrenheit 451 is Guy Montag.  Guy changes throughout the book. He starts as a somewhat cowardly, quiet and rule abiding man. After he meets Clarisse, his true traits show. Guy becomes brave and outgoing. The novel begins with him doing his job like every other day, and then going home and listening and obeying his wife (Bradbury 20).  Later he steals books, stands up to his boss, and does what he thinks is right (Bradbury 122). Guy Montag showed the public that if you want to read books and learn new things you didn’t even know existed, then you should. He managed to stand up for what he believes in and manage o escape the consequences of what he had to do to get to that point. Obviously no one really wants to kill another person to get what they want and in no case should they, but once again it was on over exaggeration on Bradbury’s part to get his point across. Guy is portrayed in the book as a bad gut to the public, but to us he seems like a hero.  The government, or the officials in charge of the novel’s setting, sends out to everyone in the town to alert and warn them (Bradbury 124). Bradbury presents the story to the reader so they may choose their side of Guy’s defense, hero or villain. Guy’s story represents s the abstract idea of knowledge. He tells the story of knowledge because if you really want to know something, you have to work to learn something if you really want to know about it.  He also represents the idea of truth. The people were lied to and they didn’t know any better. It only takes one person to break the lie and reveal the truth. Guy was the person, and even though maybe one person rrealizes, its more than before.

           

           

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 3

           The main themes of Fahrenheit 451 are censorship and the power of technology. Censorship plays a big role in the novel. Unlike what we think fireman do, put out fires, the firemen in Fahrenheit 451 create fires. This plays into censorship because it is the government, or the firemen, in the novel, controlling what the people can and cannot be exposed to so no one has an advantage over anyone else. Although it is never said why they actually burn the books; that is what is picked up through context clues. The other main theme of the novel is the power of technology, which today we can relate to very well. Mildred speaks about having a three walled television in their home and how popular it is (Bradbury 20). Guy also mentions a pocket radio being with everyone at all times (Bradbury 124). Bradbury shows having so much technology cuts out our need for communication, interaction, and learning from experiences. With the way our lives are controlled by technology it could easily reach the point that it did in Fahrenheit 451.

            Bradbury shows his understanding for human nature though the themes I pointed out. He knows that people do not like being told what they can and cannot do, but it can easily be done by someone with power who thinks all should have equal advantages. He also understands that someone will always do what they are told not to do. Curiosity killed the cat and someone is always going to be curious about unknown and foreign things such as Guy and his interest in seeing why the books were banned. Bradbury saw human’s interest in technology and obsession over new and cool toys. Technology is all and good, but it does not mean that we can stop any interaction with others because we can do it without actually saying it to their face. I believe he wrote it in such a radical way to get his point across.

             Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 2

                The conflict of Fahrenheit 451 is that Guy, a fireman, wants to read and look at books, but it is against the law. Being a fireman, who burns books; He could get in even more trouble and possibly be killed.  The cause of the conflict is Guy’s interest in books. He becomes curious about them after being questioned by Clarisse, his young neighbor (Bradbury 9). She made him question why he even did what he did, and what was so bad about books.

                There are also several things Guy gained from the conflict. The main thing he gained was the knowledge found in the books he had the chance to read. It gave him a new insight on the world and lessons the others who had never read it had a chance to get. Another thing Guy gained was his happiness. At the beginning when Clarisse asks him if he was happy (Bradbury 9). Guy knew the answer was no, and even though at the end of the book it does not seem very happy, he was happier than without books.

                There were quite a few more losses than gains in Fahrenheit 451. The sacrifices that Guy made in order to have books and happiness caused him to lose everything that was before home to him. He lost his wife, because the books scared her, and he lost his house, because he was forced to burn in with the books. He also lost his job which he did not want anyway. Disposing the things that he loved was something he could not do. He even killed his own boss, and someone who was formally somewhat of a friend to him, because he had to escape the lie he was living. All in all, he lost his past, which if he looked back on was not what he would have made his life out of now. Although the losses overpower the gains, the gains are more powerful than the losses.                                

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Fahrenheit 451: Question 1

        Through reading Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury’s value of literature and reading is clearly shown. “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal . . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind.” (Bradbury 58). To me this quote means that if we don’t have books everyone is made equal because we don’t know anything different than anyone else. I believe this is why Bradbury wrote the book, to say that by reading we can learn and experience so much more, and learn thing others may not. The violent and radical way Bradbury shows this proves how much he values literature and feels so passionately towards it. For example, Guy kills his own boss and somewhat friend because he does not understand the way the books can change things (Bradbury 119). Through his writing in Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury reveals he is passionate about his art. He believes that the reason we are different from one another is because the things we go through and some of those experiences and values can come from the lessons we read and learn in books. Another attitude Bradbury shows in Fahrenheit 451, is his lack of belief in love and relationships. Not only did Beatty turn on Montag, but his own wife was the one who pointed it out (Bradbury 114). Typically the romance in books stay together, but in this book’s case, literature and books trumps over all other things, proving once again Bradbury’s love of books, and doubt in relations.
       The perspective Fahrenheit 451 is told by is third person limited. The novel is told by a narrator, who conveys Montag’s thoughts and feelings, but not any of the other characters. I think that for this book it was a good choice to have it limited rather than subjective, because it would have caused confusion.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.