"There was a silly damn bird called a phoenix back before Christ, every few hundred years he built a pyre and burnt himself up. He must have been first cousin to Man. But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again. And it looks like we're doing the same thing the phoenix never had. We know the damn silly thing we just did. We know all the damn silly things we done for a thousand years and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, someday we'll stop making the god damn funeral pyres and jumping in the middle of them. We pick up a few more people that remember every generation."
Granger, Page 163
This is the very last metaphor used in the novel, and would be the most important metaphor portrayed. This quote outlines the whole plot in Fahrenheit 451 and also provides the answer to the difficulties in this novel. The answer that Granger stated was that it was for people to simply stop the book burning. Like the revival cycle of the Phoenix, the generations of this world had repeated the same actions over and over without trying to regret it or put an end to it. The quote "someday we'll stop the god damn funeral pyres and jumping in the middle of them" means that someday the people in the world would stop the cycle of mistakes they created. But presently, nobody would act to cause a change, that is why Ganger included the word "someday" in his quote because at that current time nobody would step out to cause a change in this injustice. Someday would be a time when somebody with great power would step up to cause a difference. But until then people with weak power like Ganger or Montag, would have to wait till somebody makes change.
Fahrenheit-451
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Post #5 By Ryo
"I've been a fool all down the line, I cant stay long. I'm on my way God knows where."
Guy Montag, Page 130
Montag regrets for the actions he took by calling himself a fool. "I'm on my way God knows where", Montag says this because he believes he is going to die. But After that quote Fable replies " At least you were a fool about the right things, and this statement of Fable, I believe is indeed true. I think that even though if a person does cause unrighteous commitments, if it was to protect one's justice, their guilt is acceptable. This idea works for both our world and the world in Fahrenheit 451. I believe that the law created in our world is incomplete and unfair, at times the law protects the people that need to be put to justice, and at times the law brings judgment to those who are innocent. This insufficiency of law works for both worlds.
Guy Montag, Page 130
Montag regrets for the actions he took by calling himself a fool. "I'm on my way God knows where", Montag says this because he believes he is going to die. But After that quote Fable replies " At least you were a fool about the right things, and this statement of Fable, I believe is indeed true. I think that even though if a person does cause unrighteous commitments, if it was to protect one's justice, their guilt is acceptable. This idea works for both our world and the world in Fahrenheit 451. I believe that the law created in our world is incomplete and unfair, at times the law protects the people that need to be put to justice, and at times the law brings judgment to those who are innocent. This insufficiency of law works for both worlds.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Post #4 by Ryo
“Well” said Beatty, “now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damn wings, he wonders why. Didn’t I hint enough when I sent the Hound in your place?”
Captain Beatty, Page 113
Captain Beatty says that Montag got punished for trying to change. Montag asked Beatty why he was being punished, and Beatty said, for being different. Here again Bradbury uses a metaphor to describe the situation that Montag is in. How Montag had tried to become different from the others is compared to how Montag tried to fly near the sun.
"Didn't I hint enough when I sent the hound in your place?" This quote shows that Captain Beatty knew that Montag had kept books and Beatty warned Montag to get rid of the books. I believe that Captain Beatty is the most complex character in the novel because although he is a book burner he has a vast knowledge in literature. Why does a book burner have such information about books? I think that at a point in Beatty's life he must have had a passion for books. But why did he become a firemen? Seems ironic why he had made that choice.
Captain Beatty, Page 113
Captain Beatty says that Montag got punished for trying to change. Montag asked Beatty why he was being punished, and Beatty said, for being different. Here again Bradbury uses a metaphor to describe the situation that Montag is in. How Montag had tried to become different from the others is compared to how Montag tried to fly near the sun.
"Didn't I hint enough when I sent the hound in your place?" This quote shows that Captain Beatty knew that Montag had kept books and Beatty warned Montag to get rid of the books. I believe that Captain Beatty is the most complex character in the novel because although he is a book burner he has a vast knowledge in literature. Why does a book burner have such information about books? I think that at a point in Beatty's life he must have had a passion for books. But why did he become a firemen? Seems ironic why he had made that choice.
"How close the wilderness is in the night"
“When we forget how close the wilderness is in the night, my grandpa said, someday it will come in and get us, for we will have forgotten how terrible and real it can be” (Page 157, Granger)
Throughout the entirety of Fahrenheit 451 the author has been preaching to us the dangers of embracing technology too much at the cost of our own critical thinking and free will. As Montag has finally escaped from the city he used to live in and is now out in nature with other likeminded individuals, he hears this warning from Granger. This serves to remind Montag not to become complacent. While it may seem like he has finally escaped from the Mechanical hound and other ghosts of his pasts, if he becomes complacent it could all return. He could become just like Mildred, depressed, attempting suicide, and lost within the walls of the “parlor.”
Another point to mention is that at the end of the book, it appears as if his old city has gone up in flames, probably due to an atomic explosion of sorts. It’s a warning that even if the entire old structure of firemen and censorship was torn down, you still have to watch out for any potential pitfalls that could return the world to such a state.
"An unreality that was frightening"
“He was moving from an unreality that was frightening into a reality that was unreal because it was new” (Page 140, Narrator)
This scene seems to be one of 2 crucial divides of the story. The first of which is after Clarisse opened Montag’s eyes to the world beyond just Seashells and Parlor walls. It seems that after wading around confused in a fog of blurred images and sounds that have assaulted him for so long, Montag’s finally out of it. Similar to the feeling that you get after you finally wake up from a long nap and you splash some water on your face. The water wakes you up from your old dreams, snapping your attention to the present. Strangely this revelation of Montag’s just happens to take place by a river, which shows the author’s skill at connecting his tale with real life scenarios. At the same time though, this hope is tempered by fear of the unknown, which is perfectly natural considering that Guy Montag is a fugitive from the law. On the plus side, he’s finally out in nature. After all this ideal concept of nature was referred back to in the book as soon as the first 20 pages, with this in mind, I’m looking forward to seeing how the author portrays this nature after idealizing it so much. It’ll be interesting to see if nature can live up to the high expectations Montag has of it.
Post #6
(whoooooo final post :D)
"When we reach the city."
This quote is the very last line in the book. So it should hold some significance.
I think this quote is important, not only because it's the last line, but because I think this represents the 'new' future for Montag and his new friends.
They are heading to the city to look for survivors and rebuild civilization.
What does this mean? What does it mean by rebuild civilization?
I think this last portion of the book reflects on a slight flicker of hope in the world; note that just before the quote mentioned above Montag recalls a quote from a book he had read before.
Then he says that he will save the quote for the city.
I think that represents his future actions; maybe he will spread the word. Maybe he will try to change the ways of the former society.
Maybe the destruction of the city was a good thing.
As Granger had previously said, there are a massive number of refugees like themselves - ex professors with literature and books engraved in their heads.
This could mean all those refugees can reach the ruins of the city and re-civilize everyone.
Another thing to mention here is the discussion between Montag and his friends previously; when Montag insists that he had forgotten about the books he had read before, Granger explains that books always remain in their minds - even if the actual books are burn to ashes.
So yes, the books may be burn and destroyed along with the city. But these refugees represent books because they carry the meaning of the books which is the most important.
Books are more than just papers, words, ink, and covers. They carry meanings. The meanings are most important, and they stay engraved in these people's heads.
They will reach the city.
They will have the books with them, not in their hands, but in their heads.
They will remember.
It will last forever.
"When we reach the city."
This quote is the very last line in the book. So it should hold some significance.
I think this quote is important, not only because it's the last line, but because I think this represents the 'new' future for Montag and his new friends.
They are heading to the city to look for survivors and rebuild civilization.
What does this mean? What does it mean by rebuild civilization?
I think this last portion of the book reflects on a slight flicker of hope in the world; note that just before the quote mentioned above Montag recalls a quote from a book he had read before.
Then he says that he will save the quote for the city.
I think that represents his future actions; maybe he will spread the word. Maybe he will try to change the ways of the former society.
Maybe the destruction of the city was a good thing.
As Granger had previously said, there are a massive number of refugees like themselves - ex professors with literature and books engraved in their heads.
This could mean all those refugees can reach the ruins of the city and re-civilize everyone.
Another thing to mention here is the discussion between Montag and his friends previously; when Montag insists that he had forgotten about the books he had read before, Granger explains that books always remain in their minds - even if the actual books are burn to ashes.
So yes, the books may be burn and destroyed along with the city. But these refugees represent books because they carry the meaning of the books which is the most important.
Books are more than just papers, words, ink, and covers. They carry meanings. The meanings are most important, and they stay engraved in these people's heads.
They will reach the city.
They will have the books with them, not in their hands, but in their heads.
They will remember.
It will last forever.
Post #5
"BEATTY WANTED TO DIE..."
This is what Montag thinks when he's running away from the Mechanical Hound - just after he had cauterized Beatty to death. He comes to this realization/suspicion/speculation when he rethinks how Beatty had spent his last moments alive:
-He handed a fire-loving fireman (Montag) a flame thrower, fully aware that Montag has his reasons to loathe Beatty.
-He would not stop talking until it pushed Montag over the edge even though Beatty knew he was very vulnerable.
Then we have to ask this question:
Do you think Beatty actually wanted to die? Do you believe Montag's reasoning?
This quote is important because this gets us readers thinking about what kind of character Captain Beatty had been...If he truly was an antagonist and a bad person, why did he walk into his own death knowingly? Did he have a death wish?
Is Captain Beatty your typical antagonist?
Or was Beatty too overconfident? Was a lack of intelligence and quick thinking the cause of his death?
But did he lack intelligence? Certainly not, from what we have read.
Another important thing to mention here is Beatty's speech before he died.
He told Montag that fire exists to burn. Fire is the solution to anything burdensome. If things get too burdensome, throw them in the furnace and they're gone. Fire burns consequences and responsibilities. Cauterize them out of existence.
Then fire burns Beatty out of existence.
How ironic.
Was Beatty a burden? Did Beatty's own philosophy simply turn on him? It looks like it.
Maybe he told all this to Montag to make him commit murder. Maybe he knew this speech he had given to Montag will tip him over the edge and do what he had done. Just maybe.
This is what Montag thinks when he's running away from the Mechanical Hound - just after he had cauterized Beatty to death. He comes to this realization/suspicion/speculation when he rethinks how Beatty had spent his last moments alive:
-He handed a fire-loving fireman (Montag) a flame thrower, fully aware that Montag has his reasons to loathe Beatty.
-He would not stop talking until it pushed Montag over the edge even though Beatty knew he was very vulnerable.
Then we have to ask this question:
Do you think Beatty actually wanted to die? Do you believe Montag's reasoning?
This quote is important because this gets us readers thinking about what kind of character Captain Beatty had been...If he truly was an antagonist and a bad person, why did he walk into his own death knowingly? Did he have a death wish?
Is Captain Beatty your typical antagonist?
Or was Beatty too overconfident? Was a lack of intelligence and quick thinking the cause of his death?
But did he lack intelligence? Certainly not, from what we have read.
Another important thing to mention here is Beatty's speech before he died.
He told Montag that fire exists to burn. Fire is the solution to anything burdensome. If things get too burdensome, throw them in the furnace and they're gone. Fire burns consequences and responsibilities. Cauterize them out of existence.
Then fire burns Beatty out of existence.
How ironic.
Was Beatty a burden? Did Beatty's own philosophy simply turn on him? It looks like it.
Maybe he told all this to Montag to make him commit murder. Maybe he knew this speech he had given to Montag will tip him over the edge and do what he had done. Just maybe.
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