Fahrenheit 451 pp. 40-68

1) Is it better to be ignorant and happy OR is it better to be aware, educated and disturbed at the world?

From Captain Beatty's perspective, it is better to be ignorant and happy than to be aware, educated, and disturbed at the world. Beatty feels that the fire fighters are the "happiness boys" because if certain people don't like a certain topic than the book that talks about this topic must be burnt to keep people happy. The evidence that i found for my explanation is on page 59 when Captain Beatty says, "Colored people don't like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Burn it. Someone's written a book about tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book. Serenity, Montag. Peace, Montag. Take your fight outside. Better yet, to the incinerator." Beatty enjoys his job so in his opinion it is better to be ignorant and happy as long as he enjoys his job. I mean Beatty is selfish but I mean who isn't at times. He only wishes to tell Guy of the past and help him understand why they began a new way of life.

One question I have is how do the people know what true happiness is if they have never lived any other way?

Fahrenheit 451 Assignment pp. 21-40

1) Montag compares Mildred (his wife) to Clarisse and says that Clarisse seems older. In what way does Clarisse act more mature and WHY do you think she is more mature? Why does Bradbury (the author) make the contrast between the two?

Clarisse acts more mautre then Mildred in many different ways. One way she acts more mature is by always making time to talk to others and is still motivated to talk to others no matter how many times people ignore her. I also believe that she is more mature because although she is living in a world where everybody is too busy to stop and converse with others she still has courage to talk to them. Another reason why I believe she is more mature is because she takes pieces of information that her uncle gives her and ponders it which is more than Mildred does all day. Clarisse actually is more mature in my opinion because she is a young girl with a great imagination and she tries to share that with everyone no matter how many times people refuse to listen. Also because she is bright for a young girl and she understands what true happiness is even with all the things going on in her world. I feel that the author made the contrast between the two because Montag has known Mildred longer than he has known Clarisse and yet he feels the same way about both of them. Another reason I feel he contrasted them is because he is comparing the "average" person to an "outcast".

Something I Dread...

As I sit at the computer desk, I ask myself, "Why does my dad always ask me to do this? I mean I'm tired and want to go to bed." A large cloud of air strikes me and I start to get a cold feeling in my body. The cold air is telling me to get up and clean the kitchen. As I get up to go clean, I hear the kitchen floor squeaking. The sound gets louder as I become closer to the place where I have to do my dreadful work. Before I decide to clean the kitchen, which is calling me, I step into the dining room to examine the dirty sanctuary I must clean. I finally say to myslef, "The sooner I clean, the sooner I'll be done," and I begin to clean.