Allusions in Fahrenheit 451
What is a literary allusion?
Why is it ironic that Fahrenheit 451 uses so many allusions?
The allusions are listed below (with their page numbers in the novel). For each allusion, there is an assignment (see below for instructions).
Bio = research the person and write a paragraph of a biography paying particular attention to how Bradbury uses this particular allusion
Summary = write a paragraph summary of the work
Find = find the work and author of the quote/allusion
Read = find the work and read it (write a brief summary)
106
106
106
106
106
107
107
107
72
78
83
86
93
99
105-6
Page in
F-451
38
40
59
Allusion motto Juan Ramón Jiménez
34 First fireman – Benjamin Franklin
Tower of Babel
Latimer  Nicholas Ridley (1555)
Little Black Sambo
59
68
71
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
“It is computed that eleven . . . break their eggs at the smaller end.”
“We cannot tell the precise moment . . . which makes the heart run over.”
“That favourite subject, Myself.”
Lilies of the Field (Bible)
Hercules & Antaeus
Julius Caesar
(Book of) Job
“Dover Beach” Matthew Arnold
Sir Philip Sydney
Alexander Pope
Samuel Johnson
“Truth will come to light, murder will not b hid long!”
“Oh God, he speaks only of his horse!”
“The Devil can cite scripture for his purpose.”
“This age thinks better of . . . wisdom’s school!”
“The dignity of truth is lost with much protesting.”
“Carcasses bleed at the sight of the murderer!”
Assignment bio bio summary bio summary summary find find find summary summary summary summary read bio bio bio find find find find find find

151
151
151
151
151
151
151
151
151
151
107
107
107
107
113
150
150
151
151
151
151
152
152
152
152
153
165
“What, do I give you trench mouth?”
“Knowledge is power!”
“A dwarf on a giant’s shoulders sees farthest of the two!”
“The folly . . . Mr. Valery once said.”
Icarus
Ecclesiastes
Revelation
Plato’s Republic
Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
Charles Darwin
Schopenhauer
Einstein
Albert Schweitzer
Aristophanes
Mahatma Gandhi
Gautama Buddha
Confucius
Thomas Love Peacock
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Lord Byron
Thomas Paine
Machiavelli
Christ
Thoreau’s Walden
“And on the other side . . . healing of the nations.” find find find find summary summary summary summary summary bio bio bio bio bio bio bio bio bio bio bio summaries bio bio bio bio summary find