When we meet next class, I will share the rubric that I will be using for your BLOG posts after this first time, and I will be looking for feedback on that, so as you write, think about the process you have to go through and what should be measured to judge the work you produce for the BLOG... until then, consider the following...
I wanted to ask about "happiness" or ask you to look at the stark contrast between Guy and Clarisse in this reading... or even ask you to observe how the foreseen technology is so very much like our ACTUAL technology of today, or---how about that Mildred, huh??? but I will keep this one more open and free....so, here it is:
What caught your attention as you read this section. What are your initial reactions? perhaps to a scene, or a character or to the plot itself... This one is pretty wide and open... make it count!!!
:) Mrs. A.
26 comments:
As I read this section some things that caught my attention were how the author kept using very descriptive analogies, and how just the first couple of pages set a very dark and gloomy atmosphere. I also notice how the firemen set fires, and not just any fires, fires burning books. I kept asking myself, what kind of society is this? Burning books, not allowed to be pedestrian, not being able to be safe and drive slow, and how kids are allowed to kill each other.
The Characters seem peculiar, like Clarisse for instance. She seems to me to be a normal teenager, a little over observant,yes, but still a teenager. But the way the author describes her threw the thoughts of Guy, it makes her seem strange and forbidden. Guy and his wife are very dark characters. With Mildred trying to commit suicide, and the mystery of Guy and what’s behind the vent.
My initial reaction to this story is that I don’t like this world that they live in. It seems to impersonal. It seems impersonal to me because of how its strange for a family to sit down to talk in Guy’s mind. I don’t think I could live in such a place, and a place without books is horrible in my mind.
This was probably the strangest thing I have ever read, not necessarily strange I suppose, just different. I have read this before, so obviously it's not that surprising to me, but I must say it is definitely a good way to keep the reads attention. Start out with something traumatizing to demonstrate the severity of the protagonists situation and desperation, also the 'something' in the ventilation grille, suspense also a way to keep the read interested. I find Clarisse a fascinating character, she reminds me somewhat of myself, always asking questions and never quite satisfied with the knowledge she has. We talked in class about how Mildred was a representation of dark society and just how dark it was. I find that this was beyond truthful, children killing each other in droves, upwards of ten cases of overdoses a night. This is the epitome of a dystopian society that believe it is a Utopian one, and Mildred perfectly exemplifies this. She almost kills herself and not only doesn't remember but refuses the possibility of it. Like society she has pulled the wool over her own eyes, with help from the government of course, but is essentially her own doing. The hound though also seems to have some allegorical purpose, I may not be correct, but I believe I know what it is. It seems that the hound represents Guy's life as a whole, toyed with by those who you would think would care for him. It also doesn't like Guy, which I interpret as Guy's dislike of his own situation, he hates how his wife treats herself and him, but at the same time enjoy parts of it and is content when lighting fires, like the hound is content in it's kennel.
I enjoyed reading this first portion of Fahrenheit 451. My biggest reaction wasn’t to the burning of the books, but to Guy’s meetings with Clarisse. She was so bubbly and friendly, and really not that strange by today’s standards. I enjoyed reading about how she thought of herself. She wasn’t unhappy, she just didn’t seem to understand why people weren’t like her.
Mildred is really sketchy. As I read about her, I really get the vibe of how dark she is. She is a perfect representation of the futuristic world, being dark, uncaring and violent. I can’t imagine living in a world like that. No wonder Clarisse has such a hard time!
The planes were another perfect idea for this book. They were low, loud and tremendously powerful. Same with the firehouse Hound. It was supposed to be friendly, but really came off as a creature of fear, not friendliness. I agree with Mickenzy about how it may be a symbol of Guy’s life, as it was a little aggravated over it’s own circumstances.
Now I understand why you had us read that cartoon. This book reminded me of how when we look at the people of the 50's, we think that all of them are insane. In this book it is just switched around. Clarisse would be the girl from the 50's, who is stuck in the past. To be more realistic with the times in the book, she would be the girl from the 1800's. Clarisse is the Amish girl of their world.
Mildred is clearly on drugs. Literally, she took thirty sleeping pills! I don't understand why she just woke up and forgot everything, is she bipolar? It seems like there is some kind of war going on, seeing as how planes were flying over and bombing stuff. I don't even know if that really happened or if it was just another one of the authors similes or something. There is so many I get confused!
It seem to me that the author has created a world much like ours today, but he just took out the care and hope in the world. Clearly the cops don't care if kids go around shooting each other! They probably supply them the guns, they might as well. Are there even cops in this world? It is obvious that there is no hope for the childrens' futures. How are any of them going to become successful with out books?
All in all I really enjoyed reading this. There is so much I want to say about what I've read that I could go on for days. I really love this mysterious feel the author gives to everything. He really makes you use your imagination.
Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature that books burn at. How come the people in this Civilization aren't allowed to read book? The firemen make fires instead of putting fires out and everybody's house is fireproof. If books are illegal then where are all of these books coming from for the firemen to burn and why does Guy enjoy burning books? When Clarisse asked guy if he ever read any of the books before he burned them he hesitated. When he got home he noticed the ventilation grille so I bet he is hiding a book under it.
Clarisse is the opposite of Guy's wife Mildred. Mildred is a dark person that tried to kill herself. When she was confronted about it she denied it and started acting normal. It didn't seem like a big deal to her. Mildred is like everyone else in the civilization. They don't really care about anything and they don't take life seriously. This book takes place in a very weird setting. People drive very fast on the roads and get in a lot of car accidents. Six of Clarisse's friends have been shot and ten of them died in car accidents. This is not a problem in the Civilization that teenagers are shooting each other. Clarisse doesn't go to school because it is boring and not stimulating to her. She is different than everyone else. she likes walking in the rain and collecting walnuts and flowers. Clarisse is not like everyone else she is a bright light in the dark civilization.
I don't know about this book. It was kind of boring to me. I did like the Clarisse girl though. She was kind of funny with all of the different things she brought up. I don't doubt her insanity either. The way she talked I probably would have wanted to hit in the face to make her be quiet. If I was there I mean.
There are things that don't make much sense yet. Why is it against the law for people to read books? It doesn't really do much it seems. Maybe it makes people curious about what's in the books, but I don't think that it does anything that changes the peoples actions very much. Though it must be nice not having any of those dumb Twilight books around.
My feelings for this world are pretty good. I would live there if I could just to see how different it is and how much money, if there is any, I would get for making the internet, or if I would get imprisoned for some odd reason that doesn't make sense.
Well so far I love this book. I get confused sometimes because I think they're before us. What Ray Bradbury described in his future world reminds me of our world today, our past, and the future.
But what really caught my eye in these pages was Clarisse. She's so outgoing and fun and just awesome. Clarisse doesn't care what Guy thinks and always seems to be that bright light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not really postive, but I think that Clarisse puts life into Guy, making him want more. He sees her as a friend, someone who amuses him and makes him laugh.
Another thing that caught my eye was the Hound. I want this thing dead. I started reading about it and I immediately got the chills. The Hound sounds like something that I would never want around me, especially with this needle business. And what is with the firemen setting animals free and betting on which animal died first? Can anyone say animal cruelty? It's one thing for them to BURN BOOKS, but now they're displaying animal cruelty.
Mildred should just go away and not come back. She's selfish, rude, neglecting towards her husband. I mean, she didn't even remember she took thirty freaking pills! Her husband saved her life, and she thought she partied too hard. Let's see, she wants to drop two grand on a wall or whatever it is, she doesn't want to have kids, she overdoses and doesn't remember, she's a bad name.
And I don't really know why, but I feel something about Clarisse's uncle and how he knows everything about the past. There's something about him, I just don't really know what yet! He has something to do with the past, something that is going to be really big once we find out.
Right from the beginning of the book, I noticed how everything seems depressing. So far, Guy Montag is not happy, and clearly Mildred isn't, considering she attempted suicide. Everything is so dark and cold, like there is no happiness left for anyone. Clarisse acts like the exact opposite of the other characters. From how Clarisse describes people, it's as if they have no time to enjoy life. They don't even know how to sit down and talk to someone. Everyone is moving in the fast lane and they can't slow down, and they don't want to. In Montag's life, Clarisse seems like a glimmer of hope for him. She makes him think about things that he wouldn't usually, and it's odd to think that he was surprised by someone being so happy and alive. I wonder what is special about Clarisse’s uncle and how Clarisse knows so many strange facts about what is around her, when no one else notices. I like the way Bradbury writes and how descriptive his writing gets. A few things are unclear for me right now, but I'm excited to read on.
When I started reading Fahrenheit 451, I was kind of confused. I kept thinking that this happened in the past, not the future. Also, the whole part about firemen making fires instead of putting them out messed with my head. I wasn't sure what to think about that. It doesn't make sense, though, that books are illegal yet they are still everywhere. When Montag met Clarisse, it was a change in the mood of the book. It went from normal and somewhat monotone to happier and joyful. When Montag went into his bedroom, I was thinking that Clarisse was going to be there in the dark. However, it was Mildred! Mildred was a bit of a shocking character. I got a feeling of scariness when Montag was entering his bedroom, because of all the darkness. The way Ray Bradbury described her, Mildred seemed like a poor, pathetic person. She had taken 30 pills and with the way she was described, it sounded like she was struggling to stay alive. I do like this book, I just get confused at some points as to what is going on. I thought it was odd how Clarisse was just talking to Montag as if he were her best friend. I couldn't really picture what the Mechanical Hound would look like, but it sounded like it wasn't a very nice thing. If I had the chance, I might want to visit with Montag to see what his life is like, but I wouldn't want to live there. I wouldn't want to live there because I wouldn't want to be in a place where it's good to start fires and not put them out! I'm excited to find out what is going to happen next because already in the book there has been some suspense, and I love suspense!
The first sentence of Fahrenheit 451 just psyched me right out. I mean “It was a pleasure to burn,” who puts that as a first sentence of a book? It made me think the main character was involved in arson or maybe he or she was a murderer. It’s just a bit of a sketchy first sentence.
From the time Guy Montag started feeling someone was following and thought he heard someone breathing up until the point he found out who the follower was, my thought about the story changed. I thought it might be a horror story and Guy was going to possibly be stalked throughout the book. It made me nervous to continue reading.
My first thought about Clarisse McClellan was that maybe she really was insane. I didn’t really know what to think of her, though, she is definitely different. I still don’t know quite what to think of her. She is a very peculiar young lady. I agree with Guy on page ten when he talks about their meeting being very strange. Their meeting was very strange. Could Guy possibly like Clarisse, though? The reason I say this is because he kept thinking about her at home. He kept imaging her face and her slender body. Guy couldn’t get their off his mind. I found this very odd. Isn’t he a little old for her?
I realize now that Ray Bradbury is an amazing author. I love the he makes you picture things differently than most authors. For example I like how he compares a fading smile to a candle that has been burning for too long. I have never seen any other author write in any way like that. His metaphor really made me understand how Guy felt. Guy really wasn’t happy and Ray expressed that well.The way he writes just astounds me. The way he can compare a face of a women to a snow covered mountain that may see rain, but rain did not fall. He amazes me! I think I am really going to enjoy reading this book. The more I read of Fahrenheit 451 the more I realize how different this author is, in a good way, than any other author I have encountered.
Reaction to Lindsey’s and Devon’s comment.
Lindsey I also enjoyed the first portion of this book. To the fact that your first reaction was to Guy’s and Clarisse is kind of shocking tho. If I saw people burning books I would be more shocked then seeing a connection between to characters. I never thought of how Clarisse thought of herself. I agree of your view of Mildred. She is an absolutely dark character. Throughout my annotations I keep saying how I would never want to live in a world like this.
Devon, I also finally understand why we read the comic now. It totally explains the book. I would have never thought of the word amish for Clarisse, but if fits perfect for describing her. I love the “Mildred is on drugs” part of your comment! This book so far for me is also confusing, with all the similes and analogies. I dislike the world just as much as you devon.
Reaction To Brianna's comment. I agree with the first segment The second segment though, you said she was over-observant, how exactly? How is she over-observant, she is just as observant as you and I. You also used the wrong through. I'm not sure though how it made her seem forbidden? I can see strange, she is quite peculiar, but how exactly forbidden? Also, Mildred did not try to commit suicide. She took the pills forgot and took them again, and repeated this process several times. Also, you said it seems impersonal and you didn't like it because of that. This is the way it is suppose to be, it shows how exactly the society function, in a detached and impersonal manner.
Reaction to Louis.
I completely agree with everything stated.
Reactions to Devon's comment:
I agree with you Dev! It is pretty clear that Mildred is definitely on something other than sleeping pills. You reaction to Mildred's life and her action make me laugh! It is very straight forward, but i agree 100%! Mildred is crazy whether she knows it or not!
Reaction to Mickenzy's Comment:
I agree that this book is definitely different, I wouldn't call it exactly strange either. Yes, it is a good way to keep a readers attention, too. I love the way you compared the hound to Guy, himself. I agree with you about those comparisons, too. I never thought about the story in that form. Now that I think about it, though, I can easily see the Hound being sort of like a symbol of Guy's life and his dislike of himself.
Reaction to Louis's comment:
I disagree that the book is boring, because so far I like it! However, I do agree that Clarisse is interesting. She reminds me of myself in some ways! (A lot of people want to hit me in the face to make me be quiet.) I also don't think it makes sense that books are illegal. I wouldn't mind the Twilight books being gone either, as long as Harry Potter stayed! Louis said he would live here, but I don't think I'd want to, just because books are illegal.
Reaction to Lindsey's comment:
I agree with everything that she said. I thought the contrasting characters (Clarisse and Montag) were a definite eye opener. I also agree that Mildred is really weird!
Reaction to Louis’ comment:
I don’t think the book is boring at all. To me, it’s interesting to read about a society that burns books instead of reading them, because it’s out of the ordinary. It doesn’t make much sense to me either, but still, I find it interesting. I also like Clarisse very much, but I wouldn’t want to hit her! If I lived in that society, I would listen to what she has to say because of her different opinions and ideas. She is so odd compared to the others in the society, which I would find intriguing, like Montag. I’m not sure if I would live in this society, it seems too strict and doesn’t have imagination.
Reaction to Emily’s comment:
I agree with everything you said! The Hound isn’t something I would want to be around. I wasn’t pleased with the whole betting on which animal dies first, and I would like to say, “Good thing this book isn’t real!” but unfortunately, this happens in our society with animal fighting, like dog or rooster fights. I also want to know about Clarisse’s uncle and how he knows all kinds of odd things about the past. I’m afraid that we won’t be able to find out more about him because Clarisse and her family are now gone.
In response to Mickenzy.
This definitely was the most strangest but not strange book I have ever had to start reading before too. I think that Clarisse is kind of like you in the sense that you both think about odd things that no one else really thinks of.
In response to Devon.
Your last question about the kids becoming successful wouldn't really matter because of the type of government that runs this town, or whatever you'd call it. This place is run by a Communist like government, so the ability to become more successful isn't really possible because everyone gets the same amount of money and similar things from the government.
Reaction to Emily's comment:
I don't understand how you got something about the past from this book. I get confused a lot while I read this, but I've never though about much of the past.
I have to agree with you about Clarisse. I understand where you are coming from when you say that she made Guy come to life. You could just tell by the way he was always thinking about her. As though he just saw something so amazing that he can't get it out of his head. No doubt about it, Clarisse is an odd character, I know if I met her I'd be amazed.
What about that hound?! What was up with that! Who would ever want to make a killing machine like that? Not me.
Don't even get me started on Mildred, Emily! She is messed up! What was Guy thinking? Who would ever marry someone like that? I hope she was a billion times better when Guy married her or I'll think he is insane too!
I feel that Clarrise's Uncle is a little sketchy as well. I hope he becomes more involved in the story. I bet he will, why would Bradbury say so much about him just to cut him out of the story? Over all though, I really agree with your comment.
Melanie: I think that Mildred didn’t mean to kill herself, she doesn’t know any better. The society has brainwashed her to always be distracted and not think. I completely agree with you about Clarisse, she has a bright light about her. Although I’m quite angry she is not going to be in the book anymore. But I think that my Ray Bradbury taking Clarisse out, it adds more affected because she’s still there in spirit and in Montag’s thoughts. She was ‘normal’ to us, while everyone else was odd. Now I think that our world is starting to become like there’s. More and more people aren’t thinking about the simple things in life, going for the fast and easy route.
Reaction to Louis’ comment: I don't think this book is necessarily boring but I agree about some things not making sense. I like Clarisse too because she is different than the rest of the horrible society. She is a person that I would consider very social and maybe a bit odd in our time but they think she is antisocial. Last but not least I would defiantly not want to live in this world because I would get shot or killed some other way. I also would want to be able to make more money than everyone else.
Reaction to Louis’ comment: I don't think this book is necessarily boring but I agree about some things not making sense. I like Clarisse too because she is different than the rest of the horrible society. She is a person that I would consider very social and maybe a bit odd in our time but they think she is antisocial. Last but not least I would defiantly not want to live in this world because I would get shot or killed some other way. I also would want to be able to make more money than everyone else.
Reaction to Alex and Casidee:
I couldn't figure out either why there were so many books to burn! You'd think that the law that made books illegal must have JUST come out, because there are so many books people have been hiding. I mean, whole houses full of books? That's a lot of books! And, I was also wondering how they could burn the houses if they are all fireproof. Am I not understanding something, or did Ray Bradbury just not think it through?
Reaction to Melanie:
I read you comment, and I have so much to say that I agree with! First, I also got the dark, gloomy, cold, and uncaring vibe right from the first page. Next, you mentioned Clarisse's uncle, and that got me thinking about how HE knows all the facts of "the olden days." My only explanation is that their world has only recently been this horrid. Maybe it didn't used to be that way? It's hard to say though, because Beatty is certain that their world has always been the way it is, while Clarisse's uncle says it wasn't. And they seem around the same age, but I don't know for sure.
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