Name______

Comprehension Guide for Fahrenheit 451:

“The Hearth and The Salamander”

VOCABULARY & TERMS: Be able to define/explain the following words/terms and understand them when they appear in the story.

Word/Term / Page # / Definition/Explanation
Hearth
Kerosene / 3
Stolid / 3
minstrel / 4
Flue / 4
Phoenix / 6
Marionette / 11
Thimble / 12
Distilled / 17
Olfactory / 25
Proboscis / 25
Proclivities / 33
Asylum / 33
Odious / 35
Centrifuge / 45
Cacophony / 45
Feigning / 50
Dictum / 58

Discussion/Comprehension Questions

Section 1: p. 3-10 (stop before “Happy! Of all the nonsense…”)

  1. What do the "firemen" do for a living?
  1. In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?
  1. According to the narration on pages 3-4, what does Montag think of his job? How do you know?
  1. Who does Montag meet on the way home? Who is she and how old is she?
  1. During his conversation, Montag says that "You never wash it off completely" referring to the kerosene. Paraphrase what he means here. What could this mean symbolically?
  1. How are Clarisse and her family “crazy” or different from others in this society?

7. What kind of “new” technology or activities do citizens partake in these days?

  1. Quote the question Clarisse asks Montag before they part. Why might she have asked him this?

Section 2: p. 10-24 (stop before “The Mechanical Hound Slept”)

  1. What are the “thimble radios” (p. 12) in Mildred’s ears?
  1. What does Montag discover about his wife, Mildred, when he gets home?
  2. What happens overhead that drowns out Montag’s screams? Predict why this might be important later in the book.
  1. Two men with a machine come to help Mildred. Summarizewhat they did and why they had to do this.
  1. Describe the attitude of the men helping Mildred. Is there anything unusual about their attitudes or behavior?
  1. How does Mildred react after she wakes up from her previous night's experience?
  1. What does Mildred do all day?
  1. Paraphrase the description of the setup of Montag's TV room.
  1. What is Clarisse doing when Montag sees her on page 21?

Section 3: p. 24-35 (stop before “It was a flaking, three-story house…”)

  1. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
  1. What is the hound's reaction to Montag? What is his reaction to it?
  1. Why does society consider Clarisse to be “anti-social” (page 29)? How is this ironic?
  1. Paraphrase the descriptions of what the “average” fireman looks like.
  1. Quote what has been rewritten about history. Thinking about dystopic societies, who might have been responsible for that?

Section 4: p. 35-48 (stop before “He had chills and fever in the morning”)

  1. Summarize what happened during the fire at the woman’s house.
  1. What did Montag take from the woman’s house?
  1. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?Quote a line that supports your answer.
  1. What technology does Mildred use to go to sleep?
  1. Paraphrase what Montag asks Mildred that she cannot remember. Why is this significant?
  1. Who is Mildred's "family"? How is this ironic?
  1. What has happened to Clarisse? How did it happen?

Section 4: p. 48-68

  1. Why is Montag “sick?” How does Mildred react to this?
  1. What does Beatty know about Montag? How do you know this?
  1. Read pages 55-62 very carefully. List three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.
  1. What does Montag admit to Mildred that he’d hid in the ventilator grille?
  1. How does he want her to help him?