F451 Guided Reading Questions pages 1-24
1. Describe the world of F451.
2. Describe Montag.
3. What four things signify that Montag is a fireman?
4. What two things does fire represent in this world?
5. What is ironic about the world of F451?
6. Describe Clarisse.
7. What is Clarisse’s effect on Montag?
8. Describe Montag’s room.
9. Describe Mildred. What does she have in her ears?
10. What happens to Mildred?
11. Why does Montag’s house shake? What do they signify?
12. Describe the two men who come to Montag’s house. How does Montag react to them?
13. What do we learn from their visit about the F451 world?
14. Describe Mildred and Montag’s relationship.
15. Describe Mildred.
16. What does the psychiatrist say is “wrong” with Clarisse?
17. Why does Clarisse say Montag is not like the others?
18. What happens to Montag after he meets Clarisse the second time?
Fahrenheit 451 Guided Reading Questions Pages 24 – 41
1. Describe the Mechanical Hound. What is its purpose?
2. What happens when Montag tries to touch the dog? What is Montag’s theory for why this happens?
3. Who is Beatty and why does he ask Montag if he has a guilty conscience?
4. What is school like?
5. What do kids do after school?
6. Why is Clarisse seen as antisocial and abnormal at school?
7. Why is Clarisse afraid?
8. What does Clarisse say has changed?
9. What does the radio at the fire station say?
10. What happens to people who break the law about having books?
11. What is the history of firemen?
12. How is the fire truck described?
13. What is different about the fire call this time? How does it make Montag feel? What does Montag do?
14. How is the woman described? What does the woman do? Why?
15. What does Beatty reveal to Montag?
F451 Guided Reading Questions pages 41-68
1. What does Montag think he would have to do in order to talk to his wife? How does this make him feel?
2. What does Montag ask Mildred? What is Mildred’s attitude? What is Montag’s reaction?
3. What does Montag say is between him and Mildred?
4. What does Mildred tell Montag about Clarisse? Describe her tone.
5. What does Montag hear outside his window?
6. What makes Montag throw up? Why is this significant? What is Mildred’s response?
7. Why doesn’t Montag want to go in to work?
8. What realizations does Montag have?
9. What does Montag say we need? What does he mean?
10. What does Beatty say changed between the 19th and 20th centuries?
11. What does Beatty say about the changes in school?
12. Beatty says, “The zipper displaces the button and a man lacks just that much time to think while dressing at dawn, a philosophical hour, and thus a melancholy hour” (56). What does he mean?
13. What does Beatty explain to Montag about censorship? (58)
14. What is a swear word?
15. What does Beatty say is the purpose of firemen burning books? (58-59)
16. Why does Beatty mean when he says, “Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean” (60)?
17. What does Beatty say about Clarisse?
18. Why does Beatty say they’ve lowered the age for starting kindergarten year after year? What kind of knowledge do people gain in school? Why? (60-61)
19. How does Beatty know so much about what happens when people read books?
20. What does Beatty tell Montag about firemen taking books?
21. What did Clarisse’s uncle say about porches?
22. What did Montag have hidden in his ventilator?
23. What does Montag mean that they are “heading right for the cliff” (66)?
24. Why does Montag think he can figure it out and find something inside of books?
25. What has changed about Montag? What things have caused this change?