Curriculum  /  ELA  /  10th Grade  /  Unit 1: "If This Goes On..." Technology, Truth, and Happiness in Fahrenheit 451  /  Lesson 3

"If This Goes On..." Technology, Truth, and Happiness in Fahrenheit 451

Lesson 3
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ELA

Unit 1

10th Grade

Lesson 3 of 21

Objective

Analyze how Bradbury uses characterization of Montag and Clarisse to introduce larger ideas about this society.

Readings and Materials

  • Book: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury  pp. 1 – 7 — "Part 1: The Hearth and the Salamander"

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Target Task

Discussion & Writing Prompt

Analyze how Bradbury uses diction, imagery, and/or figurative language to contrast Montag and Clarisse’s characters. Then, explain what larger ideas about this society Bradbury introduces through their contrasting characterization.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking

Close Read Questions

How do the diction, imagery, and figurative language in the opening scene on pages 1–2 characterize Montag and how he feels about his job? Provide specific examples from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

How does the diction, imagery, and figurative language Bradbury uses to describe Clarisse on page 3 characterize her? What other details from pages 4–5 contribute to this characterization? Provide specific examples from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

What does the conversation between Montag and Clarisse reveal about each of them as well as the society in which they live? Provide specific examples from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Vocabulary

Literary Terms

epigraph

a quote usually placed at the beginning of a book or a chapter of text

diction

 the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

simile

the comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as” to indicate what is being compared in order to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of one of those things

metaphor

the direct comparison of two unlike things (does not use "like" or "as")  in order to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of one of those things

personification

a literary device where non-human beings or things are given human characteristics/qualities

Text-based

hearth

n.

(p. 1)

the floor of a fireplace

venomous

adj.

(p. 1)

poisonous, toxic

stolid

adj.

(p. 1)

(of a person) calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation

gorging

adj.

(p. 1)

eat a large amount greedily; fill oneself with food

Homework

Read pp. 8–28 and answer the following questions:

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What does Montag realize about himself after his first interaction with Clarisse?

  • Why does Mildred need help when Montag gets home?

  • What help does Mildred receive?

  • How does Mildred react after she wakes up from the previous night's experience?

  • How does Mildred spend her days?

  • What is the Mechanical Hound? How does it react to Montag?

  • Why is Clarisse considered "anti-social"?

Annotation Focus

Note moments that reveal aspects of the society in which Montag lives.

Notes for Teachers

The homework reading references suicide and death by gun violence. Be mindful of how this content might impact students.

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Standards

  • RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.9-10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10

Next

Analyze how the characterization of Mildred introduces Bradbury's theme of technology.

Lesson 4
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