Seven Lakes High School
English II Academic
Name: _______________________
Period: _______________________
Reading Guide for Fahrenheit 451: “The Hearth and The Salamander”
Vocabulary: Define the following words. Add your own words in the provided space. Use an
additional sheet of paper if necessary.
Word
Mausoleum
Contraption
Stolid
Symbolic
menace
Assured
solemnity
haughty
Definition
a building, especially
a large and stately
one, housing a tomb
or tombs
a machine or device
that appears strange
or unnecessarily
complicated, and
often badly made or
unsafe.
calm, dependable,
and showing little
emotion
expressing or
representing an idea
or quality without
using words
a person or thing that
is likely to cause
harm
confident
Notes
the state or quality of
being serious and
dignified
arrogantly superior
and disdainful
Characters: Create a character chart for each character. Be sure to include quotes and page numbers.
Montag:
Mildred:
Emergency Men:
very confident, sure of himself
but realizes he is not happy,
According to Clarisse: he doesn’t
think. He doesn’t trust her on the
initial meeting, but he quickly is
comfortable around her. He feels
like he can be himself – she
seems to know him.
Always plugged in, addicted to
technology. No idea she is
unhappy. She is like an empty
shell with no emotions, cold
Clarisse: anti-social according to
her peers, but she doesn’t think
she is anti-social. Milk white
face-dark eyes. Thinks too
much(according to Montag)
Very cold and uncaring,
indifferent, no sympathy to
Montag. They see pill overdose a
lot.
Mechanical Hound: neon eyes,
eight legs, robot that can find
criminals and inject them with
morphine
Captain Beatty: fire captain,
threatening, follows the law,
knows bits and pieces from books
(it’s his job to know)
Seven Lakes High School
English II Academic
Name: _______________________
Period: _______________________
Literary Terms: Define the following words. Record examples in the ‘quote and page number’
column.
Word
Definition
Quote and Page Number
Metaphor
Simile
Tone
Comparison without the use of like or as
Foreshadow
Personification
Mood
a warning or indication of (a future event)
Symbol
use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them
symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense
Imagery
visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a
literary work
Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without
mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Irony
the expression of one's meaning by using language that
normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or
emphatic effect.
"“Don't go overboard with the gratitude,” he rejoined with heavy
irony"
synonyms: sarcasm, causticity, cynicism, mockery, satire, sardonicism
"that note of irony in her voice"
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of
successive clauses.
Anaphora
Comparison using like or as
the perspective or attitude that the author adopts with regards
to a specific character, place or development.
a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes
evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and
descriptions
Polysyndeton
a stylistic device in which several coordinating conjunctions are
used in succession in order to achieve an artistic effect
Asyndeton
omission of the conjunctions that ordinarily join
coordinate words or clauses (as in “I came, I saw, I
conquered”)
Answer the following questions:
1) Why is the Salamander a good symbol for the firemen in the book? A salamander can survive a
fire unharmed.
2) Why did Mildred learn to lip read? She has ear buds in her ears at all times (p. 16)
3) At the beginning of part one, what has Mildred done to herself? She has taken a bottle of
sleeping pills. She forgot she took them. (p.9) Describe Montag’s Bedroom? Cold, dark, mausoleum
– gloomy, sad, ominous, eerie
4) What does the Mechanical Hound symbolize? The control of the people by the government
5) Why does the government burn books? They censor certain books and tell people what to believe.
They believe people just want to have fun so they take away anything that would cause confusion.
By doing this, they are able to control society.
6) What life changing questions does Clarisse ask Montag? Clarisse asks “Are you happy?” She also
tell him “you’re not in love with anyone”. Another life changing event for Montag is when he sees
the woman (criminal) burn herself alive. Montag had never actually seen one of the criminals
before. He would come in after and burn the books, but books were just things. Seeing the woman
burn herself with the booksAll of these things make Montag start to think and question his life
and his government.