Context for Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
An American author, born in Waukegan, Illinois. He was influenced by other Science Fiction stories, such as those of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Bradbury claims that all of Fahrenheit 451 was written in the basement of the UCLA library on a typewriter--he did not like using computers when writing a book.
Fahrenheit 451
Originally published in 1951 in an anthology
Original title was The Fireman
The Invention of Television
Broadcast television began in 1946 Television was common in households by the mid 1950s TV shows at this time were mostly sit-coms, game shows, and other programs meant to broadcast normal life to the audiences How does this compare to today?
Think-Pair-Share
Read the following question. Then, think about your answer for 2 minutes, pair up with a partner to discuss your answer, and be prepared to share your thoughts with the whole class.
Question:
Consider what TV was like in the 1940s and 1950s. How did Bradbury envision the future of television? In what ways were he correct?
The Cold War
A 40 year period of tension and periodical conflicts between two groups of countries:
The United States, Western Europe, Canada, and Japan. vs. Eastern Europe (including the Soviet Union), and China This rivalry led to: Military action Conflicts in ideology/philosophy Espionage Military, industrial, and technological developments A massive arms race Heres what the Cold War left us with http://www.history.com/topics/red-scare/videos#cold-war
Is there any reflection of the Cold War in Fahrenheit 451?
McCarthyism
Joseph McCarthy was a U.S. Republican Senator from 1947-1957. He was strongly anti-communist. He persecuted many people (including artists, poets, actors, etc.) as communists
He rarely had solid evidence on these people
Communist beliefs were not illegal, but it was popular belief that communist=traitor
McCarthyism, Continued
The term McCarthyism is still used today to refer to ruining someones reputation through using personal attacks that are widely publicized, but which have little foundation in fact. This term was coined in a cartoon in the 1950s
An example of Joseph McCarthy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= WDfdyeQ67IE
Quick-write Time!
Choose one, or more of the following topics to write on for a few minutes right now: 1. Consider what weve discussed today (the impact of TV, the Cold war, McCarthyism). Can you relate these issues to anything going on in the world today? 2. Fahrenheit 451 was first published in 1951. In what ways is it a product of its time? (In other words, how does the context in which the novel was written influence its tone and content?) 3. If Fahrenheit 451 were written today, how would it be different? What might remain the same?
4. Senator McCarthy is stigmatized for his ruthless persecution of those he believed were Communists. Do you think that every political belief should be tolerated, even if that belief is racist, sexist, or otherwise objectionable?
