Fahrenheit 451
Analytical Essay Topics
Choose from among the following questions. Read the questions carefully before
choosing. Then re-read the question you chose. In answering your questions, make
specific references to events and situations in the novel.
1.
Choose a character from the novel and write an essay in which you briefly
describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and
show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In
your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
2.
In the novel, several inanimate objects are important. Write an essay in which
you show how two or three of the purposes that the object serves relates to
one another.
3.
Some novels advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions.
What are the particular attitudes and traditions that Bradbury apparently
wishes to modify? Analyze the techniques the author uses to influences the
reader’s views.
4.
In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly is a significant
presence. Write an essay in which you show how such a character functions
in the novel. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action,
theme, or the development of other characters.
5.
In many works of literature, a physical journal – the literal movement from
one place to another – plays a central role. Explain how a physical journey is
an important element in the novel and discuss how the journey adds to the
meaning of the work as a whole.