Fahrenheit 451 Blogs

Students reading Fahrenheit 451 will need to keep a reading journal/log for every ten pages.  These journals will be published on their blogs and will count as 10% of their Unit grade.  

THE READING LOG: 

Each Log should contain the following: 

 A short synopsis of the action and character development (what happened who was involved?  Did anyone change? 

 Your interpretation of the significant events occurring in these pages (how were these pages important to the development of the story?)

 Noteworthy figurative language and other literary elements (metaphors, similes, symbols, irony?)

 Vocabulary—unfamiliar words (Look up the words you do not know!!!!)

Example of a READING LOG

451 pages 113-123 (Danny Brady's work)

After arriving at Montag's house he sees Mildred run out of the house, stiffen when she passes Montag, and climb into a beatle and zoom off saying, "poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything, everything gone now..."; she was the one who called in the alarm. Beatty tells Montag that he must be the one to burn his own house with the flamethrower, and then they will arrest him. Montag takes the flamethrower and enters his house, he first burns some books; then he burns the bed, which lit up in a orange and red blaze; then the bedroom walls; the cosmetics chest; the chairs; the table; everything that showed that he had lived here in this empty house with a strange woman who would forget him tomorrow. If there was no solution, then now there was no problem. Then he went into the parlor and burned the family. When he was done and the house crumbling Beatty seeing montag listening to Faber, strikes him and the green bullet flew out of Montag's ear. Beatty picks it up and says that after arresting Montag they'll go after his friend, Faber. In defiance Montag aims the Flamethrower at Beatty. Beatty thinks that Montag is bluffing and takes a few steps towards him, big mistake, Montag scorches Beatty and then knocks out Black and Stoneman. He drops to the ground depressed about killing a man who he once called a friend, when he recuperates, he gets up and is struck by a car, breaking his leg. Montag forces himself to get up and move because he heard sirens. He first walks, then trots, then he breaks into run to the night.

Important Events:

• 1. "Beatty," he thought, you're not a problem now. You always said, don't face a problem, burn it. Well now I've done both. Good bye, Captain."

  2. "poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything, everything gone now..."

  3. "It was good to Burn"

  4. Montag Killing Beatty (CLIMAX!)

  5. the chairs; the table; everything that showed that he had lived here in this empty house with a strange woman who would forget him tomorrow. If there was no solution, then now there was no problem. 

Figurative Language

• 1. Faber was back there, sitting in a pile of black tar

  2. "Beatty," he thought, you're not a problem now. You always said, don't face a problem, burn it. Well now I've done both. Good bye, Captain."

  3. "poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything, everything gone now...

Another example (Kara Whitehead):

Pages 60-68

Montag finishes listening to Beatty's lecture and is shocked at the realization just how controlled his world is. After the captain leaves, Montag finally tells he's wife about the books he has been hoarding in the air vent in the house. She is completely taken aback and gets one of them and tries to burn it. Guy stops her and explains that they are in this together and to give 48 hours and they will burn the books together. Beatty returns knocking on the door and Guy tells Mildred to ignore it and they sit and Guy read a book to her.

I think the element of him saying "together" is important because it's showing how much he really needs someone to help him figure everything out and trying to mend their breaking marriage.

figurative language:

"it is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death rather than summit to break their eggs at the smaller end."

I think is saying the people have rather died that conform to the ways of society. 

 Example of a reading log (from Jenny's blog):

A short synopsis of the action and character development (what happened who was involved?  Did anyone change? )
Montag is a firemen that starts fires to burn books.  He loves his job, and he lives watching things burn.  When he was walking home one night before he turns a corner he feels like there is someone around the corner.  When he turns the corner he sees that there is a girl there.  It turns out that it is Montag's new neighbor.  He introduces himself, and she asks him about his job.  He finds out that her name is Clarisse McClellan.  She asks him weather he has read any books and how long he has been a firemen.  She also brings up the fact that firemen used to put out fires.  She also asks him if is happy.  Then she runs away into the moonlight.    Your interpretation of the significant events occurring in these pages (how were these pages important to the development of the story?)
This is probably the first time that Montag has ever been questioned about his lifestyle.  This might make him doubt whether he likes his life or if he is just pretending to like it.Noteworthy figurative language and other literary elements (metaphors, similes, symbols, irony?)
Situational Irony - Montag calls himself a fireman when he starts fires.
Symbol - 451 is the temperature that you burn paper at.
Situational Irony - reading books is illegal, and right now we are all trying to get kids to read books.Vocabulary—unfamiliar words (Look up the words you do not know!!!!)
Cream-tiled - a type of colored flooring.