Fahrenheit 451 study questions and answers part 1 The Hearth and the Salamander 1 
Fahrenheit 451
The temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns…
Ray Bradbury
Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander
Part 1: The Hearth and the Salamander
1. a) When does this story take place?
The story takes place in the future, approximately 500 years from the time this book was written, so we estimate around the year 2450. The story is also set in the autumn.
b) What clue does the author offer to support this theory on page 4?
The author uses technology that doesn’t exist yet to support his theory. The example on page 4 would be: « the silent air-propelled train slid soundlessly down its lubricated flue in the earth and let him out with a great puff of warm air onto the cream-tiled escalator rising to the suburb. » On page 5 we know it is autumn when the author writes: “ The autumn leaves blew over…”.
2. a) What does Guy Montag do for a living? (p. 3-4)
Guy Montag is a fireman. In this book, firemen start fires in houses to be able to burn the books inside of these.
b) How does he feel about his job at the beginning of the novel? Find one sentence that supports your answer. (p. 3)
The main character is very happy with his job in the beginning of the novel as we can see in the first two lines: “It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.”
3. a) Find a metaphor on page 3.
The metaphor found on page 3 is: “…with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world…”
b) Find a metaphor on page 5.
The metaphor on page 5 is: “Her face was slender and milk-white, and in it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiosity.”
4. a) Explain the symbolism of the girl’s “milk-white” face and white dress. (p. 5)
The girl’s face and dress are milk-white and this symbolises purity. She is only 17 years old and very pure. White also symbolises the girl’s frailty and femininity. It also serves as a contrast to the very dark nature of the novel.
b) At
The temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns…
Ray Bradbury
Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander
Part 1: The Hearth and the Salamander
1. a) When does this story take place?
The story takes place in the future, approximately 500 years from the time this book was written, so we estimate around the year 2450. The story is also set in the autumn.
b) What clue does the author offer to support this theory on page 4?
The author uses technology that doesn’t exist yet to support his theory. The example on page 4 would be: « the silent air-propelled train slid soundlessly down its lubricated flue in the earth and let him out with a great puff of warm air onto the cream-tiled escalator rising to the suburb. » On page 5 we know it is autumn when the author writes: “ The autumn leaves blew over…”.
2. a) What does Guy Montag do for a living? (p. 3-4)
Guy Montag is a fireman. In this book, firemen start fires in houses to be able to burn the books inside of these.
b) How does he feel about his job at the beginning of the novel? Find one sentence that supports your answer. (p. 3)
The main character is very happy with his job in the beginning of the novel as we can see in the first two lines: “It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.”
3. a) Find a metaphor on page 3.
The metaphor found on page 3 is: “…with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world…”
b) Find a metaphor on page 5.
The metaphor on page 5 is: “Her face was slender and milk-white, and in it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiosity.”
4. a) Explain the symbolism of the girl’s “milk-white” face and white dress. (p. 5)
The girl’s face and dress are milk-white and this symbolises purity. She is only 17 years old and very pure. White also symbolises the girl’s frailty and femininity. It also serves as a contrast to the very dark nature of the novel.
b) At