Mr. Munson's class:
Letters - Jane Lee
Five-Star Quote - Emily
Ms.Johnson's class:
Personal- Jennifer Cho
Personal- Sung Guk Byun
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Blog #6- Farenheit 451 - Writer's Craft: Imagery
The images of animals are described few time in the novel. For example, Montag quotes "flapping piegon-winged books"(3), compares Mechanical Hound to dog and machine to save Millie as a snake. Bradbury seem to use these negative images of animals to depict the importance and power of nature. As the society concerns the development of technology, disregard nature, and manipulate the nature into a machine, they cause the presence of catastrophy and death in the society. For example, the mechanical hounds which is developed from idea of dogs, do nothing but kill and capture people. The city which is full of technological materials and no longer values nature, contains lives that are absolutely disaster (people are living under the control of parlor, kill each other with no specific reasons). However, the lives outside of the city is depicted so peaceful and calm in the novel. Thus, this gives an impression that nature is the peace way in life. I think Bradbury used the imagery of nature well to express the importance of nature and disaster that the high technology brings.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Blog #5- Farenheit 451 - Writer's Craft: Paradox
The paradoxs in the novel are used to stimulate a question to Montag and the readers about the reality of existence of an object that is present physically but not present mentally. In the beginning of the book, Montag uses a paradoxical phase when he sees Millie in the bedroom: " The room was not empty"(11) and then quotes " The room was indeed empty"(12). Here, Montag refers that Millie is in the room physically, thus the room is not empty. But the room is empty in the way that Milli is not present mentally in the room. Thus, Millie is half-alive. With this same idea, Millie and everyone in the society are half-alive in the way that they all are present physically but not mentally because the parlors over control their mind. Similarly, Montag uses a paradox again on Mechanical Hound as he quotes "The Mechanical Hound slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live.."(24). Throught out the novel, Bradbury uses paradoxes between life and death and implies that life is based on awareness and knowledge.
Furthermore, Bradbury uses the paradoxes as the "truth" in Montag's world where people believe that they live in reality when they are really living under the parlor and blinded to the truth. Montag later finds out people are like to the machines (such as the mechanical hound) that think what they are told to think. When Montag realizes that he lived under false reality, he begins to seek for truth from the books.
Furthermore, Bradbury uses the paradoxes as the "truth" in Montag's world where people believe that they live in reality when they are really living under the parlor and blinded to the truth. Montag later finds out people are like to the machines (such as the mechanical hound) that think what they are told to think. When Montag realizes that he lived under false reality, he begins to seek for truth from the books.
Blog #4- Farenheit 451 - Personal
Among the characters in the novel, I've found Millie as the most fascinating character. At the beginning of the novel, the novel tells us that Millie attempted suicide by consuming a large amount of sleeping pills. However, she appears to be unaware of her own suicide attempt and spends all day watching the parlor. This showed me that she has pain deep within her inner self and she tries to hide and console the pain by watching the parlor. Moreover, Millie's obssession over the palor and denying books indicate that she does not like to face reality in life and accept what the palor tells her. The parlor is overcontroling her life.
As a wife of protagonist, I obviously expected to get familiar with Millie as the story goes on in the novel. However, she remains unreachable (for both readers and Montag) because she is already too influenced by parlor and she likes the way the society is. When Montag is dramatically changed through out the novel, she remains unchanged despite being the closest person to Montag. She cannot seem to escape from the parlors and is trapped by them.
Millie, obviously does not carry out her action as a wife (nor does Montag). She prefers watching the parlor than talking with Montag (in fact, she barely talks to him), does not know and simply does not care when she and Montag met each other for the first time, and does not attempt to understand Montag when he tries to find depth meaning contained in books. It is obvious that she does not understand the meaning of love. The most unexpected action that she does is setting on the alarm on and abanding Montag in catastrophy. This really threw me off! How can a wife betray her husband? Does she have no feelings at all? When I read this part of the book, I had goosebumps all over my arms. How can a stupid television change a wife into a person who betrays her own husband?
As a person who is so close to Montag (the protagonist) and yet betrays him, I think Millie is the true antagonist in the novel overall.
As a wife of protagonist, I obviously expected to get familiar with Millie as the story goes on in the novel. However, she remains unreachable (for both readers and Montag) because she is already too influenced by parlor and she likes the way the society is. When Montag is dramatically changed through out the novel, she remains unchanged despite being the closest person to Montag. She cannot seem to escape from the parlors and is trapped by them.
Millie, obviously does not carry out her action as a wife (nor does Montag). She prefers watching the parlor than talking with Montag (in fact, she barely talks to him), does not know and simply does not care when she and Montag met each other for the first time, and does not attempt to understand Montag when he tries to find depth meaning contained in books. It is obvious that she does not understand the meaning of love. The most unexpected action that she does is setting on the alarm on and abanding Montag in catastrophy. This really threw me off! How can a wife betray her husband? Does she have no feelings at all? When I read this part of the book, I had goosebumps all over my arms. How can a stupid television change a wife into a person who betrays her own husband?
As a person who is so close to Montag (the protagonist) and yet betrays him, I think Millie is the true antagonist in the novel overall.
Blog #3- Fahrenheit 451- Prediction
I am at the end of the first chapter, "The Hearth and the Salamader", where Montag is re-evaluating his job as a fireman and starting to read a book.
Prediction: I believe Montag will start to view positive about books and quit his job as a fireman. However, Milllie will not be able to understand Montag and his book. Because she doesn't even know where she met Montag for the first time, tried suicide, and is crazied about the parlor rather than talking with her husband. Thus, for her own benefit, she will cause greater disaster in Montag's life by annoucing that Montag has books. Thus, Montag will be caught for having a book and eventually loses his house and life. Although Montag loses his life, he will somehow impact people to see view good in books..because he is the main character hahaha! (Feb.29)
After finishing the book(March 13): Well! I was right about Millie betraying on Montag. But I did not know that Montag will escape the police and the Hound in such high technologically-developed society. I thought he would immediately get caught and sent to prision. Moreover, I never thought Montag would kill Beatty! (This might sound evil..But it felt so good when Beatty was fried by flamethrower! I actually said "Yeah! You go Montag!" when I was reading that part:P) Furthermore, I did not know that Montag will meet people like Faber and Granger. I was so relieved to find out that Montag was not alone in the story and there were people who helped him. Phew! Well..And I thought the society will win Montag (by taking away Montag's life) but the book ended with society losing (city destroyed by nuclear bomb).
My prediction was somewhat close to the ending of the book because Millie did betrayed Montag and put Montag's life in a risk. I knew from the way she acted in the beginning of the book that she never cared about her husband and always sought for the best of her life. She was already too contaminated by society and the parlor.
Besides, the person who is always close to the main character turns out to be the evil one in most novel!
Prediction: I believe Montag will start to view positive about books and quit his job as a fireman. However, Milllie will not be able to understand Montag and his book. Because she doesn't even know where she met Montag for the first time, tried suicide, and is crazied about the parlor rather than talking with her husband. Thus, for her own benefit, she will cause greater disaster in Montag's life by annoucing that Montag has books. Thus, Montag will be caught for having a book and eventually loses his house and life. Although Montag loses his life, he will somehow impact people to see view good in books..because he is the main character hahaha! (Feb.29)
After finishing the book(March 13): Well! I was right about Millie betraying on Montag. But I did not know that Montag will escape the police and the Hound in such high technologically-developed society. I thought he would immediately get caught and sent to prision. Moreover, I never thought Montag would kill Beatty! (This might sound evil..But it felt so good when Beatty was fried by flamethrower! I actually said "Yeah! You go Montag!" when I was reading that part:P) Furthermore, I did not know that Montag will meet people like Faber and Granger. I was so relieved to find out that Montag was not alone in the story and there were people who helped him. Phew! Well..And I thought the society will win Montag (by taking away Montag's life) but the book ended with society losing (city destroyed by nuclear bomb).
My prediction was somewhat close to the ending of the book because Millie did betrayed Montag and put Montag's life in a risk. I knew from the way she acted in the beginning of the book that she never cared about her husband and always sought for the best of her life. She was already too contaminated by society and the parlor.
Besides, the person who is always close to the main character turns out to be the evil one in most novel!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Blog #2- Fahrenheit 451- Five-Star Quote
"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against." (pg58) by Beatty
This quote stimulated a lot of "thinkings" in my head. I think the quote is very controversial in the way that it influences the readers to evaluate life with equality and non-equality. What is the definition of genuine happiness? Just as Beattty quotes above, does genuine happiness comes from equality amoung the people? The equality that we can no longer distinguish oursleves and lose the meaning of identity...Beatty seem to think that no identity brings no judgement; thus, concluding complete happiness in life. Well...I guess there could be some sort of happiness because you would not be stressed from jealousy, hatred, and sadness since everyone is same. But...I don't know if it will bring the genuine happiness. I think it will bring numbness in life instead of happiness. If I continuously live same as everyone eles and live with no uniquiness in my life, would there be a such word "happiness"?
Isn't this idea of equality sort of leads to "communism"? Communism also emphasizes the equality amoung the people so that there would be neither poor nor rich and everyone would be happy sharing equality. Maybe one day, when the world turns into communism, we might end up living in a world which Montag lives. eeek!!
This quote stimulated a lot of "thinkings" in my head. I think the quote is very controversial in the way that it influences the readers to evaluate life with equality and non-equality. What is the definition of genuine happiness? Just as Beattty quotes above, does genuine happiness comes from equality amoung the people? The equality that we can no longer distinguish oursleves and lose the meaning of identity...Beatty seem to think that no identity brings no judgement; thus, concluding complete happiness in life. Well...I guess there could be some sort of happiness because you would not be stressed from jealousy, hatred, and sadness since everyone is same. But...I don't know if it will bring the genuine happiness. I think it will bring numbness in life instead of happiness. If I continuously live same as everyone eles and live with no uniquiness in my life, would there be a such word "happiness"?
Isn't this idea of equality sort of leads to "communism"? Communism also emphasizes the equality amoung the people so that there would be neither poor nor rich and everyone would be happy sharing equality. Maybe one day, when the world turns into communism, we might end up living in a world which Montag lives. eeek!!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Blog #1- Farenheit 451 - Letter
Dear Uncle,
I've finally found a suitable friend for me. His name is Montag and lives next door. And guess what? He is a fireman! It's so strange, Uncle. I've meet a few of fireman before but he is so different from them. Unlike others, he never walks away from me. He always stays beside me and looks at me when I'm talking. And he actually pays attention while I'm blabbing about all sorts of things! We've known each other for few days and I already feel so comfortable and happy talking with him. And he seems to know it too. That we are already so close to each other.
Oh, Uncle! You must meet him! He is a great man and great listener. I really enjoy talking with him! And I think you will too. There are so many things we can teach him! Although sometimes he looks at me weird while I'm doing awkward actions (like yesterday, he saw me tasting the rain), I know he likes them because the next day he never runs away from me, thinking the next door girl is insane. Every morning, I meet him before he goes to his work. Oh, he is such a friendly man that sometimes I forget he is a fireman.
The first day I met him, I boldly asked him if he read any of books he burn. He never seem to have thought about his job much because he merely replied with laughter, "that's against the law!" And I asked him if he was happy. He just laughed and looked at me as if I was an idiot. Oh, Uncle. I wish I can help him to change and see more in life than following the government rules. And I wish I can help him to see and find the genuine happiness in life with books.
Love, Clarisse
I've finally found a suitable friend for me. His name is Montag and lives next door. And guess what? He is a fireman! It's so strange, Uncle. I've meet a few of fireman before but he is so different from them. Unlike others, he never walks away from me. He always stays beside me and looks at me when I'm talking. And he actually pays attention while I'm blabbing about all sorts of things! We've known each other for few days and I already feel so comfortable and happy talking with him. And he seems to know it too. That we are already so close to each other.
Oh, Uncle! You must meet him! He is a great man and great listener. I really enjoy talking with him! And I think you will too. There are so many things we can teach him! Although sometimes he looks at me weird while I'm doing awkward actions (like yesterday, he saw me tasting the rain), I know he likes them because the next day he never runs away from me, thinking the next door girl is insane. Every morning, I meet him before he goes to his work. Oh, he is such a friendly man that sometimes I forget he is a fireman.
The first day I met him, I boldly asked him if he read any of books he burn. He never seem to have thought about his job much because he merely replied with laughter, "that's against the law!" And I asked him if he was happy. He just laughed and looked at me as if I was an idiot. Oh, Uncle. I wish I can help him to change and see more in life than following the government rules. And I wish I can help him to see and find the genuine happiness in life with books.
Love, Clarisse
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