Fahrenheit 451 Study Guide
Write on your own paper.
Part One—“The Hearth and the Salamander”
1. What is the meaning of the title of the novel?
2. Guy Montag, the main character, is a fireman. What do
firemen do in the fictional world of Fahrenheit 451?
3. Why would an oppressive, totalitarian society (such as the
one imagined here) want books destroyed?
4. Describe Clarisse McClellan.
5. In regard to kerosene, Montag says: “You never wash it off
completely.” Explain the possible double meaning of this
remark.
6. What details do you learn about the laws when Montag is
first talking to Clarisse? People aren’t allowed to…
7. Clarisse asked Montag if he was happy. Was he?
8. Describe Mildred. Who is she and how does Montag describe
her?
9. What are the “electronic bees” in her ears?
10. What happens to Mildred?
11. Why did Emergency Hospital send technicians instead of
doctors to treat Mildred?
12. The homemaker plays Mildred describes are obviously
supposed to be like television shows. What do you notice
about the plot of the shows Mildred watches?
13. What’s a “fourth wall-tv”?
14. What new information do we find out about Clarisse?
15. Clarisse tells Montag that he isn’t like other firemen. What
reason does she give?
16. Who gave Clarisse most of her information about the way life
used to be?
17. Describe the mechanical hound.
18. What did Montag believe had been done to the hound?
19. What are the classes in Clarisse’s school like? Why was
Clarisse considered anti-social?
20. What types of activities are encouraged in this society?
21. When Montag speaks of hearing jet planes, what is going on?
(Take a guess).
22. How did the firemen know which houses had books?
23. According to the brief histories of the Firemen of America,
who was the first fireman? How is this ironic?
24. In the attic, hat biblical allusion does Beatty make when he
talks about books
25. What did Montag do in the old lady's attic?
26. Why did the old woman quote Hugh Latimer?
27. What happened to Clarisse? Was it an accident?
28. What was Montag afraid Captain Beatty would discover when
he came to visit?
29. Why did Captain Beatty believe books should be destroyed?
What led up to this conclusion?
30. According to Beatty, what “itch” do firemen inevitably get at
least once?
31. What did Montag show Mildred after the captain had left the
house?
Part Two—“The Sieve and the Sand”
32. Who is Faber and why did Montag go to see him?
33. Figuratively speaking, what do the sieve and the sand
represent?
34. What book is Montag trying to read/understand when he
keeps repeating “the lilies of the field”?
35. Faber says, “I often wonder if God recognizes his own son
the way we’ve dressed him up…” How has the society
changed the story of Christ?
36. What three elements did Faber feel were missing from life?
37. What plan did Montag and Faber devise?
38. Why, according to Faber, are firemen “rarely necessary
anymore”?
39. What was Montag willing to do to convince Faber to help
carry out the plan?
40. What had Faber designed that allowed him to be in constant
contact with Montag?
41. When the ladies come over to visit Mildred Montag turns of
the parlor walls. How do they react? What is significant in
their discussions about the following: war? children?
elections?
42. What excuse does Mildred make for Montag having the book
of poetry?
43. Why do you think the author included an excerpt from
“Dover Beach”? What about that particular poem is relevant
to the plight of the people in the fictional society of
Fahrenheit 451? Why do you think Mrs. Phelps starts crying
after she hears the poem?
44. Why did Montag burn the book of poetry in the wall
incinerator in his home?
45. When Montag goes to the firehouse, Beatty begins quoting
books. What is Beatty’s intention?
Part Three—“Burning Bright”
46. Who was the informant on Montag's home?
47. What is the main point of Beatty’s speech about fire? Could
you interpret this speech as a metaphor about the society in
Fahrenheit 451?
48. What is significant about Montag being made to burn his
own house?
49. What happens between Montag and Beatty?
50. Was Montag’s earlier worry that he wouldn’t be able to
“work things out on his own” (92) justified? What proof do
you have that either affirms or contradicts Montag’s worry?
51. Who tries to run Montag over with a car?
52. What does Montag give Faber?
53. Why did Montag take whiskey, a suitcase, and some of
Faber's dirty clothes with him? Why does he go to the river?
54. What did the railroad tracks mean to Montag?
55. What was different about the fire Montag saw at the
railroad tracks?
56. During the manhunt for Montag the Hound corners an
innocent man and the cameras identify him as Montag.
According to Granger, what purpose did this serve?
57. What was different about the hobos Montag met?
58. What had Montag been able to memorize?
59. How are the men preserving books?
60. Why doesn’t the government kill or capture these men?
61. What happens to the city during the war?
62. What does Montag imagine that Mildred is doing during this
event?
63. What did Montag and the intellectuals believe their mission
to be once the war ended?
64. How does Granger say that mankind is different from the
phoenix? How does he plan to remedy this?
After Reading—
Look back at the notes from the introduction to dystopian literature.
How does Fahrenheit 451 fit into the genre?