Farenheit Journals set 1a

Luis Acevedo
Per.3
Honors English 9
Mrs. Bosch
Fahrenheit 451 Journals

Date: February 21, 2008

Pages 3-11

Quote: “It was a special pleasure to see things eaten” pg 3


There are several reasons why this particular quote struck me. I found it interesting that the novel started out in this way. It was the first sentence and yet it was so powerful and so catching that one couldn’t help to read more. This is interesting because the main character enjoys destroying things and burning them to the ground. He received a special pleasure by doing something bad that is usually felt when doing something that is good. He enjoyed seeing everything changed and be consumed by the immense flames then turn into nothing but ash. That is why that quote struck me.

Quote: “…a wind had sprung up from nowhere, as if someone had called his name” pg 4

This quote stuck me because it actually made me feel. When I read this I was anxious to read what was going to happen to Montag and why there was a voice. He would always think that something was there and I was curious to learn what or who it was that would always seem to watch him. In the beginning I thought that he was just imagining things because of the guilt of his work that he had to destroy things with immense flames and truly felt guilty deep inside but it turned out that it was actually a real person and I found that to be interesting.


Pages 12-20

Quote:” One of them slid down into your stomach like a black cobra” pg 14

This quote was interesting because after Mildred swallowed a whole bottle of pills and then two men just come in nonchalantly and just throw this machine down her throat and just sucked it all up as if nothing was wrong. The peculiar thing was this machine; it was just used by a normal person who wasn’t even a professional. Did technology advance that much that just about anyone can be considered a doctor? That is what I found interesting about this quote.

Quote:” Well, after all, this is the age of the disposable tissue.” Pg 17

This quote struck me with awe. I had no idea that people meant so little in the eyes of this world portrayed by Bradbury. One individual life is so meaningless that this analogy of people being compared to tissues that can just be renewed if they die or get injured and another can be used just the same, is used. These people are so cruel and seem to have no emotions or care for anyone besides themselves. This world that is portrayed is a cruel and unjust one which made it and interesting quote.

Pages 21-29

Quote: “What do you do, go around trying everything once?” pg 21

This quote was striking to me because Montag asked Clarisse this question very interestingly. He asked her as if she were crazy or just didn’t have something to do. I found it interesting that he asked her this question in that manner because isn’t that what life is supposed to be all about? Trying everything in this world of ours once. The only true way to appreciate something is to go and try and do it and Montag takes that like if she’s the weird one instead of thinking that she is appreciating her life and not wasting it by not trying anything. That is what I found interesting about that quote.



Quote: “The Mechanical Hound slept but did not sleep.” Pg 24

This quote was interesting because well first of all it introduces another great piece of technology that this time period that Montag lives in happens to have. It’s also interesting because it says that he slept but he really didn’t sleep, and that is interesting because it makes you wonder if it is treated like another piece of technology or more like a pet who gains love and is loyal. Isn’t it just like cloning that this machinery is? Does it have emotions and desires? All questions that passed my mind after reading this quote, which is why it was interesting.

Pages: 30-38

Quote: “They took him screaming off to the asylum. He wasn’t insane.” Pg 33

This is a very interesting quote indeed. What kind of world does one live in that there is such poor judge of character? A man was taken to the asylum like a mad man because he shared a love of books that only few happen to in this world of Montag’s. He stood by for what he thought was the correct thing to do and he was punished so severely for it! He wanted to read and to learn through books and because of his desire, was marked as a mad man. This is why I found this quote to be interesting.


Quote: “Burn everything.”

This is one of Montag’s rules that a “firemen” has to live by. These people go around burning things instead of stopping the fires. There’s irony for you! The firemen are feared because of the chaos they create. While I was reading this I tried to think of the motive one would have for burning things. Sure it could be some sort of cleansing of this world, but books! What good would that bring? To burn something that someone worked so hard to create. That is what I found interesting and striking about this quote.


Page: 39-47

Quote:” The women on the porch reached out with contempt to them all and struck the kitchen match.” Page 40

I found this interesting because the women had such a love for books that she would rather die with her books than live without them. Instead of giving the firemen the satisfaction of them burning her books she decided to lead a more honorable death and die with her books by her lighting the flame to the eternal life beyond. I also found interesting the way the other firemen reacted about this. They weren’t nearly as hurt as Montag was. He felt guilt for once in his time serving as a fireman. Also when Montag told his wife about this she didn’t really seem to have any sympathy for the women. These people dot really seem to care for other, and I found that very interesting.

Quote: “But she’s gone for good. I think she’s dead.” Page 47

Again another quote with an uncaring attitude about another’s death. This never seizes to amaze though how little care is giving to other people. The way Mildred said this was in a nonchalant way without even caring if she’s truly death or not. She’s just saying it like if another’s life was nothing just like everyone else. Everybody really doesn’t seem to care for other and although that irritates me, that is what makes this book interesting and gives it spice.


Pages: 48-56


Quote: “We burnt an old woman with her books.” Page 49

What I found interesting about this quote are a couple of things. One thing that I found interesting is that Montag felt genuinely bad for this woman. Here I was thinking that this world is a heartless place but then Montag sets things in motion and then shows the reader that there truly are emotions in this world depicted by Bradbury. Although not many other characters felt guilt or bad for this woman at least Montag did. I also found interesting how no one else seemed to care that Montag felt bad. When he was sick and threw up, his wife couldn’t care less. That is what I found interesting about this quote.


Quote: “School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped…” pg 55

I found this quote to be very interesting because this quote tells me that the world just stopped caring about everything. Everything seemed to be relaxed and not cared after. Everything seems pointless to them. This is what I always thought the end of the world would truly be like. Just giving up on life, and Bradbury depicted that thought of nothingness and carelessness in this single quote so that is one of the main reasons in which I found this quote to be of interest.