Fahrenheit 451 Group

Question:

pimpxslayer
pimpxslayer
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Summarize Beatty's explanation of how the need for firemen arose in "Fahrenheit 451".

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Posted by pimpxslayer on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 2:55 PM and tagged with beatty, fahrenheit 451, firemen, theme.

Answers:

  1. sjp
    sjp Teacher
    High School - 9th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Beatty explains that society needs the Firemen to protect it from itself.  When people read they get ideas, and some of those ideas can make people unhappy and even cause wars and violance. The Firemen keep people from ever having to face a thought or idea that would disturb their world view.  

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    Posted by sjp on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 3:31 PM


  2. ms-mcgregor Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Beatty says that since everything was fireproof, there was no more need for firemen to put out fires. However, schools were graduating people who could run, jump, and swim. The word "intellectual" became a swear word because intellectuals made people uncomfortable. All people wanted was pleasure and books contained ideas that confused people and "caused conflict". Beatty says, "A book is a loaded gun in the house next door." People believed that everyone should be equal and equality meant that everyone should be alike. No one should be smarter than another. Books contained things that made people feel unequal. So firemen were made "guardians of people's comfort". They burned the awful books that made people unhappy. With books gone, everyone could be happy and equal.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/fahrenheit-451

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    Posted by ms-mcgregor on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 5:16 PM