Name: ____________________________
Study Guide #1 – Fahrenheit 451
Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 3-24)
1. What do the "fireman" do for a living?
2. According to pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job?
3. Who does Montag meet on the way home?
4. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the
kerosene. What could this mean symbolically?
5. Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?
6. Is there anything unusual about the way the two men go about helping Mildred? How is it
unusual?
7. How is life in Montag's house very different from that of Clarisse's house?
8. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
9. What does Mildred do all day?
10. Describe the setup of Montag's TV room.
11. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21?
12. Compare Clarisse and Mildred. Use the Venn diagram.
Study Guide #2 – Fahrenheit 451
Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 24-48)
1. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
2. What is the hound's reaction to Montag?
3. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
4. How have the fireman changed history?
5. What are the firehouse rules? What does the show about the goals of the fireman?
6. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
7. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What
is it?
8. Who is Mildred's "family"?
9. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?
10. What is unusual about the way Mildred told Montag about Clarisse?
Study Guide #3 – Fahrenheit 451
Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander (pages 48-68)
1. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. They contain great truths about our world. List three things
Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world. Why did you pick
these three? Explain.
2. On page 63, Montag thinks about some more things that Clarisse talked about that are
missing from this world. What are they? Why are they important?
3. Montag says he doesn’t want to work at the firehouse ever again. Instead he feels like
smashing things and killing things. How does Mildred respond to this? What do you think
about her reaction?
4.
What does Montag reveal to Mildred at the end of Part I? Where were they hidden? How does
she react? What does Montag convince her to do? How does Part I end?
Study Guide #4 – Fahrenheit 451
Part II: The Sieve and the Sand (pages 71-91)
1. What does Montag rant about in his speech on page 73-74?
2. Who is Faber? What was his profession and how is that relevant? How did Montag meet him?
3. When and why was the last liberal arts college shut down?
4. T/F: Professor Faber thought Montag’s call was some sort of trap. Find a quote to support your
choice.
5. Why did Faber’s fear dissipate when Montag was standing outside his door?
6. Montag says, “We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s
missing.” What three things does Faber tell him are missing?
7. What did Montag want from Faber? What is Montag’s big plan, “if it turned out books were
worthwhile”? What part does Faber add to the plan?
8. Explain the green bullet and what it looks like. How is it going to help Montag and Faber?
9. What two items were exchanged before Montag left the professor’s house?
Study Guide #5 – Fahrenheit 451
Part II: The Sieve and the Sand (pages 91-110)
1. What reservations does Montag have as soon as he leaves Professor Faber’s house?
2. T/F Montag pulled the plug on the living room fish bowl. Find a quote to support your choice.
3. What’s weird about the war and Mildred’s friend’s attitudes on page 94-95?
4. How are children treated in Fahrenheit 451? How does this connect with what you know about
what the kids do for fun?
5. Who were the two candidates in the last election? What were they like? What does this tell us
about the government in Fahrenheit 451 (really think about this part)?
6. T/F Faber objected to Montag’s poetry reading. Find a quote to support your choice.
7. What poem does Montag read to Mildred and her friends? How do the women react?
8. What effect did listening to Captain Beatty have on Montag?
9. What interrupted the poker game?
10. Captain Beatty drove the Salamander to whose house?
Study Guide #6 – Fahrenheit 451
Part III: Burning Bright (pages 113-136)
1. How has Beatty given Montag hints that he is under suspicion?
2. Who (3) turned in an alarm against Montag?
3. What happened to Montag’s green bullet?
4. Why does Montag do to Beatty? Give a quote.
5. Who does Montag destroy with the flame thrower?
6. What happens to Montag’s leg?
7. What does Montag mean on page 123, “You must remember, burn them or they’ll burn you”?
8. What is Montag’s plan to escape?
9. Where does Montag plant his books? Why?
10. How much money did Montag give Faber?
11. How many scents can the mechanical hound remember?
12. Why did Montag want Faber to turn on the air conditioning and sprinklers?
13. Why does Montag need a suitcase of Faber’s clothes?
Part III: Burning Bright (pages 136-165)
1. Why did the search for Montag veer inland?
2. Who died in Montag’s place?
3. What did Granger mean by “Welcome back from the dead.”
4. When Granger and other like minded people are stopped by authorities, why isn’t any
incriminating evidence found?
5. Do you have a sense that there are other “book chapters” in other towns. What proof do you
have?
6. What does Granger mean by his quote “You’re not important. You’re not anything”?
7. Explain the last implications of the events in the last 4-5 pages.