Originally appeared as a short story
“The Fireman” (1951)
 Was expanded into a novel in 1953
 Genre: Dystopia (Science Fiction)
 First published in 1951
 Major themes include

› Censorship
› The effects of Television
› Downfall of Society
Born in 1920
 Best known for writing The Martian
Chronicles (1950) and Fahrenheit
451(1953)
 Was once arrested for being a
pedestrian (walking down a street)
 Also wrote “The Veldt” (1950)

Foil – Someone who serves as a contrast
to another character
 Epiphany – A sudden moment of
realization
 Epigraph – A quotation set at the
beginning of a literary work (or a division
of it) to suggest its theme

Dystopian Novel – A novel that focuses
upon a dystopia, an imaginary place
where the people lead a fearful
existence (contrast to utopia)
 Science Fiction – literature that
demonstrates the impact of real or
imagined science upon
society/individuals
 Poetic Prose – Prose written in a
descriptive manner (many images,
similes, metaphors, allusions, etc.)

Adventure Story – literature that focuses
upon an undertaking involving danger
and unknown risks
 Allusion – A reference to another literary
work or event in history

This story deals heavily with government
sponsored censorship.
 Many books, including F451, have been
banned or challenged in some places
around the world
 Books are banned or challenged
because of certain types of content,
usually pertaining to religious or moral
complaints.


Some banned or
challenged books
include:
› Alice’s Adventures in
›
›
›
›
›
Wonderland
Animal Farm
Brave New World
Catcher in the Rye
The Da Vinci Code
The Diary of Anne
Frank
› Lord of the Flies
› The Adventures of
›
›
›
›
›
Huckleberry Finn
The Great Gatsby
The Harry Potter
Series
Heart of Darkness
Of Mice and Men
To Kill a Mockingbird
An early Protestant Martyr
 Executed for being a Protestant under
the rule of Mary I (a.k.a. Bloody Mary)
 One of three that were executed outside
of Oxford University

› They came to be known as the Oxford
Martyrs

Final words were quoted in F451by the
woman in the house