Fahrenheit 451 Formula

Status Quo: Montag, as well as the other firemen, loves to burn, and he loves fire. And, he hates books. That is why he burns them.
Trouble: But if that is so, why is it that Beatty admits to Montag that all firemen, including himself go through a stage where they steal books.
Question: If firemen hate books, but they all end up eventually stealing books, why are they so drawn to books?
Claim: Firemen see books as a link to freedom, because they have always been restricted to them. They therefore feel as though books are their only way out. But, they have been burning thing their whole life. They see the parallel between that and being in captivity their whole life.

Fahrenheit 451 Exploratory Draft

Cale Houghton

Exploratory Draft

My proposal: I am interested in writing about Beatty and all the contradictions he has, because I want to understand why he is always quoting books, and why he wanted to die. One reason he might have wanted to destroy books, despite his knowledge of them is that he read them, and they reflected reality on him. And because reality is so depressing, he wanted to die.

Looking over my proposal, I realize that my claim does not really go very deep. It is more of an observation about the text that I made, because:

• It’s pretty obvious Beatty read books.
• Yeah, books don’t solve any problems for you, that doesn’t need to be said.
• Well he didn’t want to die because the world was so wonderful. The people in this world are obviously are not happy. Suicides happen regularly. So that is kind of just a observation.

So I was thinking of ways that I could explore this more fully.

For the second bullet: Did Beatty expect books to solve any problems for him? If you take the risk in that society to read books, you probably thought they would do something for you. So Beatty expected books to do something for him: To figure that out, I looked at Montag’s pull towards books, because his story seems very similar to Beatty’s. So, what brought Montag into books? Well, he started collecting books before the book began, but in the span of the book, he always mentions books in association with birds.

So now, I’m onto birds. What they usually represent in literature? Freedom of course. They fly around and do anything they want. For example, the Bald Eagle, which symbolizes the freedom found in America. I was actually pretty excited when I found this, because it fits perfectly into the story. The thing that people don’t have in this world is freedom. They do the same thing every day of their lives, because the mysterious government tells them that it’s normal. So people that work with books, the firemen, are the only ones who really get to see the freedom of books, the things that the government has kept away from everyone else. It seems like the one way that they can escape.

Another thing I didn’t include in my proposal is the firemen’s relationship to fire. Thinking about it now, fire does its job every time, just like they are supposed to. And when it does that, it gives them a basic happiness like their walls do. It represents their confinement. Also, it burns books, which shows how it clashes with freedom.

So Beatty (like all firemen, according to him) saw this parallel between books and freedom / fire and confinement, so he expects books to save him from the sad reality that everybody in the book denies. And, as I said before, books may be enlightening to some people, they are just pieces of paper. They have no magic. If someone (like Beatty) were to realize this, after expecting their life to be saved, they would turn bitter against books, and resort to the simple, empty pleasure of destroying with fire.

Sorry if this didn’t make too much sense. It made sense to me at the time.

Fahrenheit 451 Text Explorations

Cale Houghton

12/16

Text Exploration

Passage 1: “Any man who can take a TV apart and put it back together… is happier than any man who tries to slide rule, measure, equate the universe. I know, I’ve tried it; to hell with it,” (p.61).

The first type of person Beatty tries to describe is the one who knows little about how their society works, but knows how to get by in his own life. This is similar to most people in the book, who wander around aimlessly in their never ending loop of a life. The OED defines happiness as: The state of pleasurable contentment of the mind; deep pleasure in or contentment with ones circumstances. So apparently everybody in the society who is seemingly brainwashed is very happy with that. But if that is so, why is it that Mildred tried to kill herself? She is definitely among the sheep. But she isn't happy as Beatty says. So if what Beatty says is a lie, then Beatty obviously has a purpose in making this up. Maybe he is trying to trick himself into thinking it.

The second type of person he describes is someone who tries to explore the world. He describes someone like Montag, who wants to reach out and discover more. He says they try to “equate the universe”. OED defines equate as: To take the average of. Obs. So in a way, Beatty is saying that if you try to create rules and equations for things in the universe, you are never going to do good for society. This makes me think more about the mysterious government. They would have to have academics among them, yet they condemn academics. It adds a level of mystery to them, because why would they condemn academics if they are academics? Just to add to the mystery from other parts in the book, why is it that nobody is ever informed about the nuclear war that they are in, even though it is blowing up cities? Maybe the government is implied to be raising the citizens for war, but this could be explored more.

The most important part of this quote though, is how he says “I’ve tried it”. OED defines tried as: Proven or tested by examination or experience. This is in a way, the first insight he gives into his life. He was always trying to be mysterious, with his confusing sentences and cloud of smoke. He makes a mistake now though, and admits that he has examined or experienced books. This is strange, because it shows how he once was not too different from Montag: Experimenting with the restricted. So if he is similar to Montag, why does he constantly bully him?

Passage 2: “Fire is bright, fire is clean,” (p.60).

OED defines clean as: Clear of all encumbrance or restrictions. Beatty thinks that fire is free, and is a way that is exactly what their society isn’t. They are always confined with doing the same thing over and over again. So I think that fire is a way of breaking away from this. 
OED defines bright as: Lit up with happiness, gladness, or hope. Also, hopeful, encouraging, cheering. So in a way, Beatty sees fire as one of the few ways that he can get happiness: And happiness is what he always says is the most important thing in life.
OED defines fire as: States of ignition. This is where the troubling part comes into play. His views on fire are very similar to Montag’s at the start of the book. It is always destroying, but at the same time, it seems beautiful to them. I think that the reason for this is the way that it eats their problems away. If they see a book, they burn it, without a second thought. But in their lives, they have to do the same things over and over again, while dealing with the fact that they have nothing that makes them happy. So fire is a way of simulating their escape from that reality. One example of this is how Beatty gets Montag to kill him by fire. He wants things to be happy and free, and fire is his way of doing that.

Passage 3: “God what a pulse! I’ve got you going, have I, Montag? Jesus God, your pulse sounds like the day after the war. Everything but sirens and bells! Shall I talk some more? I like your look of panic. Swahili, Indian, English Lit., I speak them all. A kind of excellent dumb discourse, Willie!” (p. 107).

One thing I would like to talk about is how he mentions it sounds like the day after the war. The OED defines war as: Hostile contention by means of armed forces. Everyone else in the story seems to be left out on information about the military. The ladies who have husbands in the army barely know anything about. At the end, when they all got bombed, nobody saw it coming. So this raises the question, how does Beatty know what it sounded like the day after the war? I think that he must have some outside source, which would most likely a book, as that would never be put on the news.

And then he brings up all these languages that he speaks, which brings another question up, how does he know these languages? I think that the answer to this is also kind of obvious: He must have read books. So twice now, I have seen that he apparently has read books. So why does he hate them so much? It’s possible that they weren’t the instant gratification that he wanted, because he realized that, as Mr. Garces Kiley puts it, books are sad.
Also, he is taking Montags pulse. The OED defines pulse as: The throbbing or rhythmic expansion of the arteries. So he is checking Montags pulse, and when he confirms that he is nervous, he is pouncing on him for it. It seems like he is constantly looking for weaknesses in Montag. I wonder why he wants to tear him down and make him nervous?
Just to add on to this he says he enjoys Montag's panic. The OED defines panic as: Of fear, terror, etc. So he enjoys seeing Montag in terror. That is at a new level, to be that cruel to someone, you would have to hate them. But why would Beatty hate Montag? Montags never done anything to him, except steal books, which he is still proving at this point. So maybe he hates books. He may have been let down by them in some way in his life, because they couldn't physically hurt him. Or maybe he got caught with them.

Expanding on this, I think it is because he views Montag as someone similar to himself when he first started reading books: They had just skimmed the surface, but they wanted more. And he is angry at himself for thinking books could solve his problems, because once again: Books are sad, they can't solve any problems for you. Montag has problems to: He never felt content with his life, and he has come to terms that he isn't happy in his life. Beatty is angry at Montag for making the same mistake as himself, which he now sees as obvious.

Stage 1: Brainstorm

Things that I am thinking of writing about include...

• How Beatty claims that he hates books, but is always citing them.
• How Beatty always tells Montag about how the important thing for everyone in life is to be happy, yet he himself apparently wants to die.
• Mildred is unhappy (suicide attempt) yet she refuses to change anything in her life (she turns Montag in for wanting to get books and rebel).
• Connections between the Hound and Montag.
• What do the walls represent?
• Why is it named Fahrenheit 451?

Process Post

During this unit on the book Fahrenheit 451, we have learned several new reading techniques and strategies. One of the most important things we learned about is symbolism, because there are a lot of examples of it in the text. The one that we went over is the mechanical hound. I think this is an example of symbolism because Montag views the hound in a similar situation to himself. He says to Beatty, that it makes him sad all the hound will ever do is destroy. All Montag ever does is destroy. And when the hound gets killed, that part of Montag that always conforms with society also does. He runs away and joins a group of people dedicated to remembering books. Symbolism is so important because it reveals main ideas in the book, just by examining an object.
Another technique we learned was close reading. One thing we noticed when we were close reading was how Montag was always comparing books to pigeons in his mind. Also, we noticed that the author always introduces a new character by showing contrasts. Montag is introduced by saying how it is a pleasure to burn and destroy. The hound is introduced by showing how it seems both dead and alive. I think both of these could also be expanded to find major ideas in the book..

Klosterman Zombie Web

Malcolm X 1st Draft Intro

Cale Houghton 10/20

“The Autobiography of Malcolm X: An Analysis of Themes and Troubles”

When Malcolm is young, he comes across, “the first major turning point of his life,” (p.37). This huge realization is that white people have set up a society where it is impossible for blacks to succeed. This is, according to him, the biggest thing that has happened to him in his life. It seems like he would be permanently changed by it.

What disturbed this is that once Malcolm gets to Boston, he doesn’t think about his realization at all. He starts doing exactly the opposite, and making it seem like he is ashamed of being black. He conks his hair, which he later admits, “was my first really big step towards self-degradation,” (p.56). Also, he leaves behind his black girlfriend Laura for a white girl named Sophia because it helped him, “mature into some social status in Black downtown Roxbury,” (p.71). Also, as Kristian put it, he wasn’t even her “main dude”, he was her “side dude”. So in a way he is saying that because she is white, he is lucky to have her, even if she doesn’t treat him right. So, if Malcolm realized that white people were oppressive towards blacks, but then he acts like whites are superior, why would he change his opinion like that?

The answer that I came up with to that is that Malcolm is very easily influenced by the things that happen around him, and the things that affect him. And because his life is so fast paced, he has a lot of changes that come over him very fast. When he realizes black people are dealt from the bottom of the deck, he has been witnessing events that lead up to this realization his whole life. His family was always on the move, and always in poverty, because of white Klansmen. His dad was brutally killed by white supremacists. Through his eyes, “welfare, the courts, and their doctor, gave us the one-two-three punch,” (p.22). So he is very ready to accept that white people set up a society that blacks can’t succeed in. But once he gets to Boston, he starts getting pressured into thinking against that way. Everybody around him has conked hair, so why shouldn’t he? And since having a white girlfriend impresses his friends why would he not want her, even if he was a “side dude”.

Pod Reflections

Aryana:

Claim: Malcolm is easily influenced by his surroundings and the people around him.

Question: Why is it that Malcolm is always changing his mind about his point of view on white people?

Trouble: When Malcolm’s lives in Lansing, he realizes that racism is all around him. Then when he arrives at Boston, he disregards this and starts conking his hair and wearing zoot suits. But when he goes to jail again, he starts hating white people and the Christian religion, and saying that whites are devils.

Status Quo: Most people don't have such fluctuations, and if they are willing to fight for a cause, they won’t abandon it.

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Reworded Question: If most people who are willing to fight for a cause stick with it for their life, but Malcolm frequently changes his outlook on white people, why is it that Malcolm has so many fluctuations?

Reworded claim: Malcolm’s opinion is very easily influenced by his surroundings, so because he is always travelling and moving to new places, his outlook on white people changes.

Evaluation of Trouble: Her trouble is interesting, and it would definitely take more than a few words to answer, but it is possible to answer.

Cale:

Claim: Malcolm’s attitude is shaped based upon what happens around him.

Question: Why does Malcolm make the change from being uncomfortable around white people to trying to make himself seem more white?

Trouble: When Malcolm lives in Michigan he comes across the realization that black people are always at a disadvantage. But then once he moves to Boston he conks his hair and starts dating Sophia, which he admits later are both ways of admitting that it is better to be white.

Status Quo: If you come across a giant realization in your life, you wouldn’t just disregard it in a few months.

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Reworded Question: If most people wouldn’t disregard a huge breakthrough in their life, but Malcolm has this huge realization about white people and then stops caring about it, why would Malcolm no longer pay attention to his problems with whites in Boston?

Reworded Claim: Malcolms attitude is based on what happens around him, and because so much is always happening around him, his opinions are always changing.

Evaluation of Trouble: I think that my trouble is interesting, though I couldn’t say for sure if it would interest other people. The question will require more than two words to answer, in my opinion it sharpens understanding of the text, and can be thought of in a deeper way. It might not seem that way to someone else though, so I can’t be sure.

Malcolm X Exploratory Draft

One of the things I am interested in writing about is the theme of change throughout Malcolm X, or as he describes it, the “chronology of changes” that is his life. The thing that troubled me that related to this theme was something I noticed when I was talking in the fishbowl discussion: When Malcolm lives in Lansing, he comes across a realization of how black people are constantly being mistreated. When his white teacher says that he can’t be a lawyer because he’s black, he describes it as the “first major turning point in my life”, (p.37). Also he says, “Where ‘Nigger’ had slipped off my back before, wherever I heard it now, I stopped and looked at whoever had said it. And they looked surprised that I did,” (p.37). So he starts to stand up for himself, and realizes the unjust world he lives in. But what troubles me is that once he goes to Boston and Harlem, he doesn’t think about the unjusts upon the black race at all it seems. The vendettas that he has against the white race are almost completely forgotten: For example, his girlfriend Sophia is white, when just a little while before he was saying that he was feeling, “a restlessness with being around white people,” (P.35). That is a stark contrast to me. Also, Malcolm conks his hair. This might not seem that extreme, but he later admits that “I had joined that multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that black people are inferior,” (p.56). So he is admitting that his conking of his hair is a form of  degrading himself, and making himself seem more white. And if you just think that a little while before that he was saying how he was uncomfortable with white people it seems ridiculous.

So, this brings me to the question, why does Malcolm make the change from being uncomfortable around white people to making himself seem more white? One answer that I just thought of is that maybe it’s because that was what was socially acceptable at the time. Everybody around him was conking their hair so they could look more white, so he felt that he had to as well. And dating a white woman is a status symbol, so that is why he dates Sophia. He says that, “It was when I began to be seen around town with Sophia that I really began to mature into some social status in Black downtown Roxbury,” (p.71). So a lot of these things that he is doing that contradict with what he said before are just because he felt pressured to do them to fit in.

Another theory that I came up with beforehand is that Malcolm’s attitude is shaped by what happens around him. This would explain his change from Lansing to Boston because in Lansing his father was killed by whites, and his mother was partly driven insane but white welfare workers. So it seems like that would make him hate white people, or at least feel uncomfortable around them. But when he moves to Boston he forgets about that dislike. In my opinion, that is because Roxbury is an all black neighborhood. So if Malcolm isn't around many white people, and he shapes his views based on what is happening to him in the moment, then he would have a very neutral view of whites, because he didn’t really interact with them.

But then when he goes to jail, he begins to hate whites again, and think about the experiences he just had with them: Because he was a black man going out with a white woman, he gets a much larger sentence than most burglars get (“we weren’t going to get average-not for our crime,” (p.153)). Meanwhile, Sophia and her white friend get a much better sentence. So I imagine that at the time Malcolm felt like white people had put him in jail, and that he had been screwed over by his white girlfriend. When Malcolm gets converted to the Nation of Islam he says, “The reason is that among all Negro’s the black convict is the most perfectly preconditioned to hear the words, ‘The white man is the devil’,” (p.186).

Also, when Malcolm changes his mind about white people being the devil in Mecca, I think that it was partly based on just a couple experiences. As soon as he meets a white person who does something nice for him, he immediately changes his mind about all of them.

All this makes me think that if you make up all your opinions based on personal experience, that you end up generalizing a lot of people. So maybe this was one of Malcolm's faults in his life.

Cale's Proposal

I am interested in writing about the theme of change throughout Malcolm X's autobiography. I was troubled by the fact that Malcolm realized when he was in Lansing that black people were always dealt from the bottom the deck, but when he came to Boston he forgot about that, and even got his hair conked, which he admitted later was attempt to be more like a white person. This is important in the book, because this was one of the major setbacks in Malcolm's life to him. He had realized what a world he had lived in when he was younger, and was ready to stand up to it (he started staring at people who called him "Nigger", but then he forgot all about it. One way to consider this is that when Malcolm moved into a predominantly black community, he no longer had the experience of having to live with white people, so he forgot about his vendettas against whites.

Intro to Mecca

For over a decade of his life, Malcolm has been fighting for the Nation of Islam, debating with people who support integration, and defending Elijah Muhammad in any possible way. He strongly believes that whites are all devils, and that the original people were black. He thinks that the only way to get blacks out of the ghettos of America and into the rightful place they have as the superior race is to separate from the whites.
When he goes on his Hajj, or a religious trip to the sacred city of Mecca though, everything about these views change. This suprised me because it seems very strange to spend a good portion of your life fighting for a cause, and then, in a span of a couple days, change your mind and decide that all of your findings are wrong. So I asked myself the obvious question: How is it that you go from feeling willing to give your life for a cause one day, and then soon after decide you disagree with it? Also, what could bring about that change? The answer I came up with when thinking about this problem is that Malcolm bases so many things in his life off of personal experience. When his father is killed by members of a white supremacy group, when his mother goes insane because of white state workers, and when his teacher tells him he can't be a lawyer because he is black, Malcolm realizes that black people are always at a disadvantage to whites (which is perfectly reasonable given all of those things that have happened to him). But then as soon as he moves into the all black societies of Boston and Harlem, he totally forgot about his bias against whites. And then when he gets put in jail by white people, and because he was dating a white woman, he starts over again in his hate of whites, which he continues for many years, because most whites in America hate him. But when he meets a couple of generous white-complexioned people on his Hajj, he decides that white people aren't devils after all. The "chronology of changes" that he describes his life as, is really because he changes his opinions at a personal whim.

Cale's Weekly Response #1

Response to Malcolm X, Chapter 6
One thing that troubled me about Chapter 6 is how Malcolm voices his mistrust for women in it. He says "it was mainly the women who weren't prostitutes who taught me to be mistrustful of most women," (p.94). And this theme of not trusting women continues throughout the book, as he mentions several times that he thinks women are always trying to trick men. What bothers me about this is that he is trying to get black people to become equal to white people, but he thinks that women do not have the right to be equal to men. That seems very hypocritical. I think that it's possible that he saw his mother acting very differently around the man who came to their house, and trying to get him to marry her so that he could help her support the family and raise the children. Also, Malcolm only sees his first proud and strong woman when he is 14, which is his half-sister Ella. That may have given him a early mindset that women couldn't take care of themselves.
On page 100, Malcolm gets caught trying to lead an undercover agent to a prostitute. He learns after he does this to recognize the undercover police, and he never gets caught again by an undercover agent. This reminds me of the scene with Pai Mei from Kill Bill. Malcolm, like the Bride has to learn from his mistakes. Malcolm doesn't recognize a military agent and gets arrested, and the bride gets bloody knuckles from trying to break the wood. But, Malcolm learns how to spot undercover agents, and the Bride can eventually punch the wood without getting bloody knuckles.