Fahrenheit 451 Study Guide

Fireman Guy Montag loves his job. Since houses have been made fireproof, firemen no longer put out house fires--now they burn books. No one is allowed to read books--no one wants to read books. Books are only filled with confusing and contradictory ideas, and it is more important to have fun and be entertained. But then Montag meets a new young neighbor girl who actually seems to think. When she asks him, "Are you happy?" he finds he has no answer. And when an old woman refuses to leave her books and dies in the flames, he wonders, what in her books inspires such passion? He determines to discover it for himself, though his rebellion, and his confusion, may cost him his life. A good examination of censorship and our responsibility to understand. Setting: Futuristic United States Category: American Literature, Science Fiction