Fahrenheit 451
2 Extended Answers
THIS ASSIGMENT COUNTS AS A PAPER. PAPERS ARE 30% of
your final grade.
Choose 2 of the questions below and answer in a well organized
paragraph with clear support from the book. You will be graded
on organization, format, and mechanics.
Each answer must be 9-14 lines, double spaced. Each must
contain 2 quotes as evidence to support your answer. Quotes
should not be more than 3 lines long and must be documented
with a page number. Your answer contain a theme that applies
to real life; you are not just giving information about the
characters and world of the story.
1. Choose any part of Fahrenheit 451 and compare it with “Do Not
Go Gentle Into That Good Night” or “Mending Wall.” How are the
message of the book and the message of the poem similar? Use at
least 2 quotes with page numbers.
2. According to Fahrenheit 451, why is literature important? Use at
least 2 quotes with a page numbers.
3. According to Fahrenheit 451, why are family relationships
important?
Use at least 2 quotes with a page numbers.
4. According to Fahrenheit 451, what are the advantages or dangers
of technology? Use at least 2 quotes with page numbers.
5. According to Fahrenheit 451, what is the value of nature? Use at
least 2 quotes with page numbers.
Extended Answer:
written response that follows a particular pattern:
9-14 lines in length
topic sentence: specific answer to question
support: examples and explanation
Example: What character is the most influential?
Beatty is the most influential character in Fahrenheit 451 because his actions and
ideas change the storyline dramatically. The pressure he puts on Montag compels him
to act. His death is the catalyst for Montag fleeing the city; otherwise Montag would
have been killed in the bombing. Beatty also reveals the most information to us.
The reader learns from Beatty why books have been banned. “Our civilization is so
vast that we can’t have our minorities upset and stirred” (59). Later on he gives his
personal feelings about books: “I’ve had to read a few books in my time, to know
what I was about, and the books say nothing! . . . You come away lost” (62). Beatty’s
feelings reflect the problems with society in the book, but they also reveal problems
with attitudes towards learning that people have in real life.
Topic Sentence: First sentence must be a clear answer to the question
Evidence: Must have details from the text that supports the topic; should be best details (USE QUOTES)
Quotes should prove an IDEA or THEME, NOT an EVENT. You don’t need to prove what the
characters do or say. They should prove what YOU say.
Bad Example: Mildred overdoses on her pills. “You took all the pills in your bottle last night” (19).
Good Example: Becoming obsessed with entertainment leaves people emotionally numb, so they have no
connection with the actual events of their life. Montag condemns Mrs. Bowles of this kind of detachment,
saying, “Go home and think of your first husband divorced and your second husband killed in a jet and
your third husband blowing his brains out . . .” (101)
Citation: Must be properly cited: in quotation marks, show line breaks for poems, have line or page
number in parenthesis (this is used after citation requirements are taught)
Explanation: details from text must be explained and shown how it supports topic
Transitions: must be used when moving from one point to the next
Grammar & Mechanics: words need to be spelled correctly, proper mechanics must be followed
Voice and Style: should be written for appropriate audience, best words should be used, repetition should
be avoided as well as filler words. Don’t use interjections or informal language. Avoid personal pronouns
like “you,” “we,” “I” or “us” when referring to yourself or the reader. “The reader” is a good
replacement in most cases. Don’t write“I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” or “In my opinion.”
Is there any repetition or unnecessary words that could be eliminated?
The story is called "A Clean, Well-lighted place. In the story I think the main character is an older
waiter. In my opinion the older waiter is looking for someone to talk to in the story.
change to: In "A Clean, Well-lighted Place," an older waiter is looking for someone to talk to.