* entry of your choice
When our class was assigned to read a book about dystopia, I didn’t really like it because I thought it would be dull and mundane. I enjoy reading but, I didn’t like the topic of dystopia. Second of all, I didn’t even like he cover of Fahrenheit 451. I started reading to just finish my project as soon as possible.
However, my thoughts changed as I read the book. It made me think, and it made me be part of the book. I really enjoyed reading Fahrenheit 451 because it was very interesting to see the similarities between the real world. What if this was really happening? I don’t know of how would’ve reacted. Would I follow the laws? Or have a different opinion like Faber and Montag? It would be horrible to think of a world that is worse than now. With all the dependence of machines and technologies, it would be comfortable. However, living without books would be pretty awkward. It would be a celebration for those who don’t enjoy reading, but majority of people receive their knowledge and information from miscellaneous of resources. Would we be able to neglect all of those? Fahrenheit 451 was a great book to experience all of those. I would like to read it again and recommend to others, because I am sure they would think of the same thing as me.
January 23, 2007
Entry 7: settings
* are there any settings in this novel which you have found to be beautiful? or disturbing? or memorable? describe these settings and comment on why they were meaningful to you.
Every setting where Montag and Clarisse were together, were memorable and beautiful. The settings were always peaceful and quiet, which is perfect for two people to have a conversation. In one setting, it was raining and Clarisse suggested Montag to taste the rain. It was a moment where everything was fine and normal. No fire, no machines, no captain Beatty but a great dialogue that makes them happy.
“I’m still crazy. The rain feels good. I love to walk in it.”
“I don’t think I’d like that,” he said.
“You might if you tried.”
“I never have”
She licked her lips. “Rain even tastes good.”
……
“I guess it’s the last of the dandelions this year, I didn’t think I’d find one on the lawn this late. Have you every heard of rubbing it under our chin? Look.”
She touched her chin with the flower, laughing.
The setting that was very disturbing was when Montag described the Mechanical hound growling at him. It was also fearful that it was only intimidating Montag for some reason. As I imagined the picture, I wouldn’t want to be in a situation like that. Especially, when other colleagues didn’t even care, and all they say was that they would check with it later.
“I’m still crazy. The rain feels good. I love to walk in it.”
“I don’t think I’d like that,” he said.
“You might if you tried.”
“I never have”
She licked her lips. “Rain even tastes good.”
……
“I guess it’s the last of the dandelions this year, I didn’t think I’d find one on the lawn this late. Have you every heard of rubbing it under our chin? Look.”
She touched her chin with the flower, laughing.
The setting that was very disturbing was when Montag described the Mechanical hound growling at him. It was also fearful that it was only intimidating Montag for some reason. As I imagined the picture, I wouldn’t want to be in a situation like that. Especially, when other colleagues didn’t even care, and all they say was that they would check with it later.
Entry 6: significant passage
http://www.lesleymattuchio.com/images/Grass-Dew.jpg* please choose one passage from the novel that is significant to you. why is this passage meaningful? Please type it into one of your entries and comment on what you think about the passage.
“I didn’t know that! Montage laughed abruptly.
“Bet I know something else you don’t. There’s dew on the grass in the morning.”
He suddenly couldn’t remember if he had known this or nor, and it made him quite irritable.
“And if you look”-she nodded at the sky-“there’s a man in the moon.”
He hadn’t looked for a long time.
This passage is significant to me, because it reminds me to take a time and look the surroundings around me. I have missed many valuable things that looked so simple, because I was so tightened up with my school works and others. Dew on the grass and a man in the moon seem nothing. However, if we become like Clarisse, we can see the beauty of the raindrops, the feelings of the breeze in the middle of the winter, or the sound of the leaves of the garden trees rustling in the spring breeze. Maybe we were too ignorant of the beauty around us. It is amazing that Clarisse can find aesthetics in the middle of confusion and corruption. This is very meaningful to me and gives me a lesson that I should always be positive and thoughtful of what I have around me, instead of under estimating the world with negative statements all the time. During my break, I will try becoming my Clarisse and take time to study the beauty of nature and the society I live in.
“I didn’t know that! Montage laughed abruptly.
“Bet I know something else you don’t. There’s dew on the grass in the morning.”
He suddenly couldn’t remember if he had known this or nor, and it made him quite irritable.
“And if you look”-she nodded at the sky-“there’s a man in the moon.”
He hadn’t looked for a long time.
This passage is significant to me, because it reminds me to take a time and look the surroundings around me. I have missed many valuable things that looked so simple, because I was so tightened up with my school works and others. Dew on the grass and a man in the moon seem nothing. However, if we become like Clarisse, we can see the beauty of the raindrops, the feelings of the breeze in the middle of the winter, or the sound of the leaves of the garden trees rustling in the spring breeze. Maybe we were too ignorant of the beauty around us. It is amazing that Clarisse can find aesthetics in the middle of confusion and corruption. This is very meaningful to me and gives me a lesson that I should always be positive and thoughtful of what I have around me, instead of under estimating the world with negative statements all the time. During my break, I will try becoming my Clarisse and take time to study the beauty of nature and the society I live in.
Entry 5: mood
* what is the mood of this novel? do you find this novel saddens you in any way? why?
The mood of the novel was sharp, confused, bitter and full of tense. It was a constant unfortunate events. Like, Mildred almost killed herself with large amount of pills, lack of cares of women’s husbands in war, ignorance of their own children, voting presidents depending on their physical appearances, and much more. It showed how the world was so corrupted and out of order. I asked myself, is this reflecting our real lives? It seems horrible in the novel, but I realized I shouldn’t be that surprised. People kill themselves or give up their lives so easily because of small circumstances. Many people abandon their own family and neglect their own children. People judge other people with their outlooks and are interested in others who are popular. They never see the inside and don’t even want to try. This novel is exactly telling us what is happening. In my opinion, this story is not based on the future, but the author is showing us the real images through this novel in this modern world. Is there a person who is willing to change the world like Montag? Is that person full-hearted to change the mood of the world that is so similar to the novel? I hope so… I wish this is something that only happens in out imagination. Is it impossible? Is it too late? Will the world’s mood be the same? Sharp, confused, bitter and full of tense?
The mood of the novel was sharp, confused, bitter and full of tense. It was a constant unfortunate events. Like, Mildred almost killed herself with large amount of pills, lack of cares of women’s husbands in war, ignorance of their own children, voting presidents depending on their physical appearances, and much more. It showed how the world was so corrupted and out of order. I asked myself, is this reflecting our real lives? It seems horrible in the novel, but I realized I shouldn’t be that surprised. People kill themselves or give up their lives so easily because of small circumstances. Many people abandon their own family and neglect their own children. People judge other people with their outlooks and are interested in others who are popular. They never see the inside and don’t even want to try. This novel is exactly telling us what is happening. In my opinion, this story is not based on the future, but the author is showing us the real images through this novel in this modern world. Is there a person who is willing to change the world like Montag? Is that person full-hearted to change the mood of the world that is so similar to the novel? I hope so… I wish this is something that only happens in out imagination. Is it impossible? Is it too late? Will the world’s mood be the same? Sharp, confused, bitter and full of tense?
Entry 4: climax
* what is the climax of this novel? what happens? how do the events of this novel make you feel?
The climax of the novel is when Montag kills Captain Beatty. After Montag realized that Mildred, his wife, called in the alarm, he had to burn his own house down because of Beatty’s command. Captain Beatty also threatened him with mechanical hounds, which Montag hates because those were gazing and trying to hurt him at the fire house. When he was done, Beatty told him that he will be under arrest. It was also tense when Beatty found the green buggy radio in Montag’s ear. Montag turned his flamethrower on Beatty and burned him like all the books he burned in the past. This event of this novel made me feel so relived and happy, because the bad guy went down. Also, it was an astonishment of Montag because it wasn’t an easy courage to kill his enemy. He wasn’t a coward anymore and stepped into the starting point where he can actually change the society and the world. He can spread out the truth of the books and the message to the corrupted world.
If I were to put myself in Montag’s position, it would have been very difficult, because I know that whether I kill captain Beatty or not, I would be in BIG trouble. I don’t know what I would do in that moment but it was obvious that he would get help from Faber.
The climax of the novel is when Montag kills Captain Beatty. After Montag realized that Mildred, his wife, called in the alarm, he had to burn his own house down because of Beatty’s command. Captain Beatty also threatened him with mechanical hounds, which Montag hates because those were gazing and trying to hurt him at the fire house. When he was done, Beatty told him that he will be under arrest. It was also tense when Beatty found the green buggy radio in Montag’s ear. Montag turned his flamethrower on Beatty and burned him like all the books he burned in the past. This event of this novel made me feel so relived and happy, because the bad guy went down. Also, it was an astonishment of Montag because it wasn’t an easy courage to kill his enemy. He wasn’t a coward anymore and stepped into the starting point where he can actually change the society and the world. He can spread out the truth of the books and the message to the corrupted world.
If I were to put myself in Montag’s position, it would have been very difficult, because I know that whether I kill captain Beatty or not, I would be in BIG trouble. I don’t know what I would do in that moment but it was obvious that he would get help from Faber.
Entry 3: characters
http://greywolf.critter.net/images/gallery/sketches/2004-09-18-fireman.gif
* Who are the main characters in the novel? Do you like them? Why or why not? What is special about them? What do they reveal about the universal human experience?
The main characters in the novel are Guy Montag and Captain Beatty. Guy Montag is the protagonist in this book. I like this character because he stands up for his belief and what is right. He isn’t necessarily a hero, a sage or a doughty man, but because he is a fool, he keeps his opinions and rebels against the society. Montag is a fireman. However, the bizarre thing is that a fireman in this story is not a person who saves people from fire, but starts a fire to burn the books. Later on, Montag realizes that there is something wrong with his actions, and becomes desperate to find the truth and a meaningful way to live. Montag can be compared to other people who learn and want to know more about his life and the society.
Captain Beatty is an antagonist in this novel who is filled with contradictions. He is a book burner just like Montag. I don’t really like him because he tries so hard to convince Montag about the negative things about books. He believes that firemen bring pleasure to people by destructing the books. In page 59, he said, “…People want to be happy, isn’t that right? Haven’t you heard it all you life? I want to be happy, people say. Well, aren’t they? Don’t we keep them moving, don’t we give them fun? That’s all we live for, isn’t it? For pleasure, for titillation? And you must admit our culture provides plenty of these.” He is a narrow-minded person, who is so against reading and strictly follows the law. In page 38, “You know the law,” said Beatty. “Where’s your common sense? None of those books agree with each other.”
The main characters in the novel are Guy Montag and Captain Beatty. Guy Montag is the protagonist in this book. I like this character because he stands up for his belief and what is right. He isn’t necessarily a hero, a sage or a doughty man, but because he is a fool, he keeps his opinions and rebels against the society. Montag is a fireman. However, the bizarre thing is that a fireman in this story is not a person who saves people from fire, but starts a fire to burn the books. Later on, Montag realizes that there is something wrong with his actions, and becomes desperate to find the truth and a meaningful way to live. Montag can be compared to other people who learn and want to know more about his life and the society.
Captain Beatty is an antagonist in this novel who is filled with contradictions. He is a book burner just like Montag. I don’t really like him because he tries so hard to convince Montag about the negative things about books. He believes that firemen bring pleasure to people by destructing the books. In page 59, he said, “…People want to be happy, isn’t that right? Haven’t you heard it all you life? I want to be happy, people say. Well, aren’t they? Don’t we keep them moving, don’t we give them fun? That’s all we live for, isn’t it? For pleasure, for titillation? And you must admit our culture provides plenty of these.” He is a narrow-minded person, who is so against reading and strictly follows the law. In page 38, “You know the law,” said Beatty. “Where’s your common sense? None of those books agree with each other.”
Entry 2: current situation
* Are there are any current situations in the world that relate to the novel? What are they, and how do they relate? Does the novel shed any light on how current situations could be resolved or "fixed"?
With no doubts, majority of people know that some communist countries limit of what people read. For example, China and North Korea are against some religions, so they banned some of the religious books like the Bible. I’m not sure if they burn them, but there are some serious consequences if you posses it, like in Fahrenheit 451. Some people might face death or severe punishment. This can relate to Montag who actually hid the book and almost got into trouble. With these unreasonable actions of banning books and limiting people’s will, countries are most likely to fail and corrupt. Without knowledge and help from other resources, how can a community survive? How would they know what is right and what is wrong in their lives? If you see North Korea, it is a perfect example because, they are trying so hard to isolate themselves and have a bravado that they will succeed without any advocacy. However, as time goes by, their reputation and dignity is going down below. This is because they don’t know the real world outside. They don’t know what can help them and know what life is really about. If they have some resources like books, they would gain more knowledge and realize that their actions are just stupid and filled with hubris.
I have another thing that can relate to the book that is currently happening in this world. It doesn’t have to be about burning books, but the cause is very important. The cause of burning books is not clarified in this book, but the environment itself is so dependent on technologies. Mechanical hounds, electric-eyed snake, TV shows and more. It reflects on our daily lives where we are relying on Internet, TV shows and videogames so much that we do not care about reading books. Some people consider books as boring papers or a resource that can help them get better grades.
Both of these problems can be resolved by believing of what is right and acting upon them. Are people telling you that books are bunch trash? Tell them that those trashes are going to be recycled and be in front of you. The more you try to get rid of them, the more will come up and affect you greatly. Investing more time of reading would be worth more than playing video games for 5 hours
With no doubts, majority of people know that some communist countries limit of what people read. For example, China and North Korea are against some religions, so they banned some of the religious books like the Bible. I’m not sure if they burn them, but there are some serious consequences if you posses it, like in Fahrenheit 451. Some people might face death or severe punishment. This can relate to Montag who actually hid the book and almost got into trouble. With these unreasonable actions of banning books and limiting people’s will, countries are most likely to fail and corrupt. Without knowledge and help from other resources, how can a community survive? How would they know what is right and what is wrong in their lives? If you see North Korea, it is a perfect example because, they are trying so hard to isolate themselves and have a bravado that they will succeed without any advocacy. However, as time goes by, their reputation and dignity is going down below. This is because they don’t know the real world outside. They don’t know what can help them and know what life is really about. If they have some resources like books, they would gain more knowledge and realize that their actions are just stupid and filled with hubris.
I have another thing that can relate to the book that is currently happening in this world. It doesn’t have to be about burning books, but the cause is very important. The cause of burning books is not clarified in this book, but the environment itself is so dependent on technologies. Mechanical hounds, electric-eyed snake, TV shows and more. It reflects on our daily lives where we are relying on Internet, TV shows and videogames so much that we do not care about reading books. Some people consider books as boring papers or a resource that can help them get better grades.
Both of these problems can be resolved by believing of what is right and acting upon them. Are people telling you that books are bunch trash? Tell them that those trashes are going to be recycled and be in front of you. The more you try to get rid of them, the more will come up and affect you greatly. Investing more time of reading would be worth more than playing video games for 5 hours
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