Fahrenheit 451

This study guide will help you analyze the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. You can also find a summary of the text, detailed characterizations of the relevant characters, as well as inspiration for interpreting it and putting it into perspective.

Presentation of the text

Title: Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

Author: Ray Bradbury

Genre: Novel

Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) was an American author and screenwriter. He wrote in a variety of genres including science fiction and horror. Bradbury published several novels and short story collections. 

The novel Fahrenheit 451 describes a social order that author Ray Bradbury set roughly in the years 2000-2020. It presents a society that promotes entertainment and propaganda instead of knowledge,  where people have forgotten how to think independently and critically. The novel's main character, Guy Montag, a contented fireman, rebels after several experiences trigger his transformation. Because of today's rapid spread of new electronic media and the overwhelming power of the entertainment industry, the novel is still considered relevant. Fahrenheit 451 is an eloquent, poetic, and nerve-wracking novel that pays homage to literature through its masterful writing craft.