Fahrenheit 451: Part Three Burning Bright ● Use this handout to discuss Part Three of F451. ● Of course, discuss anything else you might discover that is not listed here. 1. Examine the scene when Montag and the firemen pull up in front of his house. Much is said and done in this scene. How doe each character act? What is revealed? I could barely put the book down, I kept going through the pages to see what would happen next. Montag is still wanting answers but he is also trying to comprehend everything that is happening and processing that it’s actually happening to him. Mildred leaves without hesitation, Beatty is trying to arrest Montag while he is resisting and kills Beatty. Faber is trying to tell Montag how to get out of there. 2. Discuss Montag’s realization that Beatty wanted to die. Is this another motif running through the novel? Beatty did not even try to save himself throughout this time. He was not satisfied with life probably especially given the fact that he has knowledge through books. I personally think Beatty tried to get Montag to put the flamethrower to him so that he would die. 3. Examine Montag’s run from the house over the boulevard. Discuss the children driving the Beatle car too. What does it say about this society? The children in the car were teenagers and they wanted to kill Montag for absolutely no reason. Montag, obviously, running for his life comes to a realization that this car, these kids, may be the ones who killed Clarisse. Most people in society have no remorse or sympathy, these kids were willing to kill this man for the fun of it. 4. Examine the surveillance used in Part Three. What does Montag hear on the seashell earphones? What do Faber and Montag see on the TV at Faber’s house? They here that the radio announced war was going to happen and they have lined up a million men and they will be victorious. They also announced a fugitive on the run, Montag. Another Hound has been sent out to find Montag. The Hound will be able to track his scent anywhere. 5. Technology plays an important role in all parts of this novel. Discuss its impact on the world in Part Three: the characters, the government of a futuristic United States, etc. What do you think Ray Bradbury was concerned about with such technology? Is there a Reality TV aspect to how the government approaches the chase of Montag? All the technology shown not only in Part 3 but throughout the whole novel is portrayed as bad. Certain readers might see it different if they agree with how the government should run society, but from Bradbury's point of view it’s bad. Bradbury put this type of technology in the novel specifically in this type of society to show readers how dangerous technology can become. He thinks, which a lot of people think too presently, that the advance in technology whether it’s good or bad will lead to lack of intelligence. 6. Continuing with this idea of Reality TV, discuss Montag’s run for the river after he leaves Faber’s house. What does it say about the government and society? This whole part was playing in my head like a movie. When Montag is on the run, the government tells everyone to go look for him all at once on the count of 10. All this for one fugitive when there are probably many others as well. The Hound senses Montag's scent which is why Montag goes into the river to try and wash off his scent and to make the helicopters go away. 7. Examine what Montag thinks and fantasizes as he floats down the river and enters the woods. Do you see contrast between his past life and a possible new one? Notice the use of setting. He stays with the current and washes up somewhere by the country. He is so engulfed by the sounds and scents of nature. He feels Clarisse was also here once, this was a somewhat safe space for him. Something so different than where his past life was, he’s feeling overwhelmed with a sense of joy as well. 8. How does the chase for Montag end? What does Granger show him? Why is telling of the government? Granger gave him something to drink that changes something in his body to make the Hound stop chasing and won’t be able to get his scent anymore. Granger tells him how they will catch someone else as “Montag” so that they don’t seem wrong. They end up finding someone and announce Montag is dead. This shows the government will kill an innocent man in favor of their reputation. 9. Granger tells many things to Montag. How they became books through memory, his thoughts on his grandfather, his ideas on the Phoenix, the mirror factory, etc. Analyze Granger’s thoughts and ideas. Why does Bradbury include them? I feel that Bradbury included Grangers thoughts for the readers to realize there is hope. Granger showed Montag hope and validated his thoughts and curiosity. Throughout all the chaos of the society, Montag ended up with the truth with Granger. However, it was much bigger than he had realized. I feel the story continues with much more truth being untold, more hope. 10. What Biblical references are included in Part Three: especially towards the end? Why are they included? Granger mentions, "We are also Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" which is when he is introducing the other men. This is a biblical reference as all these people were in the bible. They were people of Christ, which could make the reader infer that Montag is also a person of Christ. 11. Bradbury utilizes various symbolic elements in the novel. What symbolism can you find in Part Three? One symbolism is the man who died as “Montag”. This man symbolizes Montag’s old self dying, and then the real one starting his life again. He has been washed away from what the government first put in his head. He can now be in his own thoughts and learn about the truth. 12. What themes are present in Part Three? To find themes you need to look at characters, setting, plot, symbolism, motifs, etc. One theme of part 3 could be rebirth. The reason why is because Montag finally escaped his life with the society and after his substitute died, it was as if he was reborn into the man he is truly supposed to be in this life. Another could be actions, when Granger is talking about his grandfather, the whole theme of that is what actions you do for the world and how that is what matters. 13. Discuss the ending. What do you think of the ending? I believe the ending was great, it was a cliffhanger in a way. The last sentence, “Yes, thought Montag, that’s the one I’ll save for noon. For noon… When we reach the city”. The story I assume continues, but it leaves you questioning what happens. It also shows how Montag is now hopeful for what comes after now. His new life. 14. Is there anything you want to discuss that is not listed on this study guide? Please share. One small thing I forgot to mention is the way I pictured the Hound was to something I’ve seen in a show. The show Black Mirror portrays many futuristic societies that are similar to the one in the novel. In this specific episode, there are these black mechanical dogs and they seem similar to how the Hound is described.