Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
The novel is about firemen who are
paid to set books ablaze.
The system was simple. Everyone
understood it. Books were for
burning…along with the houses in
which they were hidden.
Why Fahrenheit 451?
Fahrenheit 451 is
the temperature
at which paper
burns.
Free write #7
For this part of the Power Point, I will pose several questions that I
would like you to answer throughout the presentation. Each
response should be like a free write-jot down what comes to your
mind about these topics.
a. Why is important that a society is literate?
b. What are the effects of an anti-literate society?
c. List three reasons if you had power over people why
their literacy could threaten your power.
d. When you hear the word “censorship”, what do you
think of?
Written in 1953
History of Burning Books
Some particular cases of book burning are long and traumatically remembered because the books destroyed were irreplaceable and their loss constituted a severe
damage to cultural heritage, and/or because this instance of book burning has
become emblematic of a harsh and oppressive regime.
•Library of Alexandria
•the obliteration of the Library of Baghdad
•the burning of books and burying of scholars under China's Qin Dynasty
•the destruction of Aztec codices by Spanish conquistadors and priests
•Nazi book burnings of Jewish literature.
Although one motivation for book burning may be censorship, it is in most cases an
act of displaying severe displeasure, hatred, or contempt for the book's contents or
author, or to attract attention for the outrage perceived by those who highly
appreciate the book and its content. For example, the burning of Beatles records
after a remark by John Lennon concerning Jesus Christ, the destruction of the
Sarajevo National Library, and the 2010 Qur'an-burning controversy.
What is a Banned Book?
A banned book is one that has been censored by an authority—a government, a
library, or a school system. A book that has been banned is actually removed
from a library or school system.
Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from
“inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were
the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office
of Intellectual Freedom:
the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"
the material contained "offensive language"
the materials was "unsuited to any age group"
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideas
andresources/free_downloads/2011banned.pdf
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/freq
uentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/2000_2009/
The Most
Challenged/Banned
Book from 2000-2010
“Whoever would
overthrow the liberty of a
nation must begin by
subduing the
freeness of speech.”
Benjamin Franklin
e. FW – What is important about having
“free speech”?
1950s
FW –
f. What are the benefits of technology?
g. What are the drawbacks?
h. What are the future implications of
technology on our society?
Elvis Presley
Rock-n-Roll
Jeans
Saddle Shoes
James Dean
Jukebox
Poodle skirts
Malt shops
Disneyland
Drive-in movies
Leave It To Beaver
The Cleavers are the
1950's 'All-American
Family' in this 'feel-good'
family sitcom. Parents
Ward and June, and older
brother Wally, try to keep
Theodore ('the Beaver')
out of trouble. However,
Beaver continues to end
up in one kind of jam or
another. The show ran
from 1957 - 1963
And then this…
Terms we will discuss
Cookie-Cutter
having the same appearance (as if
mass-produced)
Conformist
to act in accord with the prevailing
standards, attitudes, practices, etc.,
of society or a group
Censorship
the suppression of speech or other
public communication which may
be considered objectionable,
harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient
to the general body of people as
determined by a government, media
outlet, or other controlling body.
FW –
i. When is conformity a necessity?
j. When does conformity hinder a society?
k. What ideas are presented to society
through the videos from the 1950s?
Term
Definition
Allusion
Epiphany
a reference to a wellknown person, place,
event, literary work, or
art
sudden understanding
Connotation
The emotional
implications and
associations that a word
may carry.
Polysydeton
repetition of
conjunctions in a series
of coordinate words
Pathos
Sample
evokes feelings of sorrow
and pity; usually with
helpless suffering
I like eggs and bacon and
coffee and pancakes.
FW- l. Respond to the
following quote:
“If they give you ruled paper,
write the other way.”
~Juan Ramon Jimenez
Ray
Bradbury