Fahrenheit 451 Novel:
1) The Pace
The novel moves quickly, but if I am mistaken, it may take place over a few short day, but did have a build up. A reason for the slow build, because the relationship between Montag and Clarisse would develop rather quickly, this is the reason that the beginning of the novel takes places over time. It only becomes break-neck speed when he finally wakes up. Time isn’t on his side and neither are those watching his every step. He scrambles through his escape HOPING there is a safe place for him at the end of the tracks. The pressure that builds within those few days only ends when the BOMBS fall on the city.
2) The Mechanical Animal
The Mechanical Hound is literally a government watch dog. Its job is to sniff out human DNA, especially those reading books, and keep control of the populace. Bradbury wrote “The mechanical Hound slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live in its gently humming, gently vibrating, softly illuminated kennel back in a dark corner of the fire house.” In this world, all tech is controlled by the Government and is used to track and control. Bradbury was way ahead of his time in 1953 …
3) Professor Faber
Faber is a retired English professor with whom Montag had come across in his line of work. His character represents the actual history that is not discussed in Montag’s world. Faber confesses to Montag that he watched the government take away the people’s freedoms and he did nothing. Now, full of regret that his generation let this happen, he becomes alive with exhilaration at the thought of finally breaking the system.
4) Clarisse Needs to Die
A few pages into the novel, Montag meets his new neighbor Clarisse and finds her, unlike anyone he has ever met. She’s chatty, gets on with her family, and enjoys nature. This is NOT normal in this world. On that first meeting, Clarisse asks Montag, “Are you happy”? She then vanishes (her family vanishes too) and Montag’s life is never the same again. Though she doesn’t make it to the end of the novel, she is never forgotten by Montag or the reader. Be like Clarisse – QUESTION EVERYTHING.
5) WAR!
There has been a War. There is the threat of War. The War starts again. From the constant sound of bombers overhead to the final NUCLEAR BOMBS dropping on the city, War flows through every page of this book. Inner battles are fought at every step. Millie is losing her own War with reality and Montag’s internal conflicts are evident. Beatty lays down his sword in the final battle with Montag. WAR! It’s everywhere.
The Books Purpose
Ray Bradbury is an American author that was born in Waukegan, Illinois, into a family that once included a 17th-century Salem woman tried for witchcraft (National Endowment of the Arts). Fahrenheit 451 was written in 1953 on a rental typewriter in the basement of UCLA’s Lawrence Clark Powel Library where he escaped from a home filled with distractions (National Endowment of the Arts). F451 is a warning of what society could become. During the 40’s and 50’s, McCarthyism ran rampant through the government and society. Also known as the 2nd Red Scare, this when Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin produced a series of investigation and hearings during the 1950’s to expose supposed communist infiltration of various areas of the US and government (Achter). After being re-elected in 1952, McCarthy was a polarizing figure that reached his height in 1954 by having a 36 day investigation hearings in 1954 (Achter). During this era, Bradbury witness civilians and other public figures snitching or informing on others. This can be viewed in the book when Mildred informs Beatty about Montag or with any of the obscure characters that had their homes burnt because of the their libraries. Bradbury’s vision of the future possessed wall viewing screens (flat screen tv’s), ear shells (air pods) and other technological advances that was not around during his day. To conclude, Bradbury’s work is a piece of literature that should be read by all.
