Fahrenheit 451: Suggested Essay Topics | SparkNotes (2024)

1. How does Faber define the value of books? Does his definition of “quality” apply to media other than printed books? Do you think his definitions are accurate or not? Explain.

2. Discuss Montag’s relationship with Mildred. Is this a typical marital relationship in their culture? Discuss the role of family in the characters’ lives, particularly in relation to the TV parlor “families” and their nature and function.

3. Describe Clarisse’s effect on Montag and her function in the novel. How and why does she change him? Why does she vanish from the novel?

4. Discuss the use of quotations from literature in Fahrenheit 451. Which works are quoted and to what effect? Pay specific attention to “Dover Beach,” the Bible, and quotes from Shakespeare.