English 9
Mrs. Dinsmore
Fahrenheit 451 Allusions
WEB QUEST MINI‐PRESENTATION
ALLUSION: Allusion is a literary device by which authors make a brief and indirect reference to a person,
place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. Allusions do not generally describe in
detail the person or thing to which they refer; rather, they are said in passing and the writer expects the reader
to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in the text. For instance, the word
“quixotic” means stupid and impractical and is derived from Cervantes’s Don Quixote, a story of a foolish knight
and his misadventures. Thus, you are making a literary allusion the moment you say, “I do not approve of
this quixotic idea.”
In his novel, Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury embeds a plethora of allusions both to historical figures and literary
works/characters to enhance his message about the dangers of a government that uses censorship as a
means to control the masses.
DIRECTIONS: Select ONE of the allusions from the novel (see list below) and complete this web quest
activity.
1. Review the context (what is going on in the story) of Fahrenheit 451 at the moment your allusion appears in
the text. Read several sentences before and after your allusion to understand what is taking place in the story.
2. ASK YOURSELF:
 What does this allusion mean?
 Why would Bradbury stick it in the story at this particular moment?
 What is the connection between the allusion and what is taking place in the story?
 Why is the individual, event, or work of art/literature important?
 When was the individual born?
 When did the event take place? What was going on historically?
 When was the work of art/literature first revealed to the world?
 What was the individual best known for? Something political, historical, literary, artistic, scientific?
 What theme(s) does the work of art/literature emphasize?
 Where is the landmark located? Why is it famous? What happened there?
THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU WILL ANSWER IN YOUR REPORT, though not all will apply to any
particular allusion!
3. Conduct a web-quest by going to several (at least 3) credible websites to research the meaning behind
your allusion. Cross-reference what they all indicate to ensure trustworthiness of your report. You will
need to prepare a bibliography in MLA format citing all of the websites upon which you relied.
4. Type approximately a 1-page (double-spaced) summary of the allusion you selected. In the 1st paragraph,
identify the allusion including where it appears in the novel. You may want to quote the text. Explain what
is happening in the story and what the allusion seems to mean. In the 2nd paragraph, summarize what you
learned in your research about what was alluded to. Finally, explain possible links between your allusion
and the novel. How does the allusion emphasize a theme or add meaning to the plot? Be sure to defend
your position with evidence from the text (i.e., use quotations from the book). Be sure to check your
document for organization, spelling, and grammar! You MUST cite your online source(s). DO NOT
PLAGIARIZE!
5. In addition to the paper that you will turn in to me, you will present your findings orally to the class.
Your presentation will be approximately one to three minutes. Present your allusion to the class with
enthusiasm. You may bring your report and notes, but please don’t just read the report word for word.
Teach the class!
AT LEAST SOME OF THE ALLUSIONS THAT APPEAR IN FAHRENHEIT 451
1. Benjamin Franklin p. 34
2. Dante p. 50
3. Jonathan Swift p. 50
4. Marcus Aurelius p. 50
5. Antaeus p. 83
6. Hercules p. 83
7. Milton p. 87
8. Sophocles p. 87
9. Aeschylus p. 89
10. Vesuvius p. 93
11. Cheshire Cat p.93
12. Dover Beach p. 99
13. Alexander Pope p. 106
14. Sir Philip Sidney p. 106
15. Icarus (“fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damned wings”) p. 113
16. Cassius (a Shakespearian character) p. 119
17. Keystone Cops p. 138
18. Confucius p. 151
19. Buddha p. 151
20. Plato’s Republic p. 151
21. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels p. 151
22. Albert Schweitzer p. 151
23. Charles Darwin p. 151
24. Schoppenhauer p. 151
25. Albert Einstein p. 151
26. Mahatma Gandhi p. 151
27. Thomas Love Peacock p.151
28. Thomas Jefferson p. 151
29. Lord Byron p. 152
30. Thomas Paine p. 152
31. Machiavelli p. 152
32. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden p. 153
33. Bertrand Russell p. 153
34. Ecclesiastes (from the Bible) p. 160
35. Revelation (from the Bible) p. 160
36. Tree of Life p. 165
37. Conan Doyle’s Baskerville Beast p. 173
38. The Phoenix (bird flying out of the ashes)