Science Fiction Annotation

 Science Fiction:

Author: Ray Bradbury

Title: Fahrenheit 451

Genre: Science Fiction

Publication Date: 1951

Number of Pages 190

Geographical Setting: Un-named Midwestern city,  near Chicago

Time Period:  After 2022, after two atomic wars

Series: N/A

Plot Summary: Montag, a fireman, meets a young girl who is carefree and cheery, something uncommon in that time. She asks a lot of questions, making him contemplate his life. He realizes that he is not happy, his wife is not happy (proven by an attempted overdose), and that he is unsure about his future. He begins to question what he does and why it is wrong to read. 

Subject Heading: Fireman, Betrayal, Determination

Appeal: Mood, Characters, and Ideas

    Mood: We have all had moments of self doubt and wish for moments of clarity. Montag's self analysis makes the reader empathize with him. He emits a desperation that draws us in, silently encouraging him.

    Characters: A good story always has to have an unlikely hero, and Fahrenheit 451 does not disappoint us. Montag is portrayed as a conflicted, quiet personality, whose bravery is inspiring. 

    Ideas: One of the most compelling parts of the book is when Montag is hit with the realization that behind each book was a person who had to think them up. That person spent countless hours dedicating themselves to that work, and he, as a fireman obliterates the work in under two minutes. 

3 terms that describe the book: inquisitive, empathetic, realistic

Similar Fiction works:

    The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger.. The main character is a teenager who has a sense of guilt for the death of a family member. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is affected by the conversations with a teenager and feels a little guilty for destroying books. 

    Animal Farm, by George Orwell. Both are set in a time where certain ideas are prohibited and made to feel alienated from the rest of the world. 

    Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Both novels are set in a society that focuses on censorship and being politically correct.

Similar Non-fiction works:

    Burning the Books: A History of the Deliberate Destruction of Knowledge, by Richard Ovenden. Discusses how libraries have been attacked, books burned and funding stopped in order to destroy knowledge.

    Bad Ass Librarian of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer. In 20212, Al Qaeda took control of an area and attempted to seize manuscripts. Abdel Kader Haidara smuggled out 350,000 books out of the town. 

    The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. Based on a true story, A 14 year old prisoner is asked to guard the books that have been snuck past the guards. 





Comments

  1. Erin CataldiFebruary 26, 2024 at 12:26 PM

    Love the readalikes on this! Great annotation! Keep up the great work!

    ReplyDelete

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