The Moon is Down vs. The Old Man and the Sea

After (finally!) finishing all my reading this summer for Honor's English, I am taking my last blog to compare what I thought of the two required reads this summer. They were The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. These two books are so completely different from each other, I was glad I got the opportunity to read both of them. One, novel filled with war and invasion, and the other a coming of age story of some sorts about a man and his fish. Going into the summer I assumed that I probably would not like either of these novels. I ended up really liking The Old Man and the Sea, which totally surprised me. I normally never like books like this, with nothing really exciting happening to the characters, but for some reason I thought it was really meaningful. I thought that The Moon is Down was just okay. I have only read one Warish novel that I have really liked (The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages, a story about a little girl whose parents were working for the Manhattan Project, building the atomic bomb) and this probably will not change. I do not like to read a whole bunch of fighting because I find it boring, and even though this novel did not have any fighting I still thought it was kinda boring.

I found that I did like a lot of the quotes in both novels and am going to talk more about a few again. "You're not a man anymore. You are a soldier. Your comfort is of no importance and, Lieutenant your life isn't of much importance. (Steinbeck 99). I have used this one twice already, but I just really think that its true. Back during World War II, people were expected to get drafted and fight in the war no matter what. And then in the war, they did not matter they were only used as numbers to try and win. "You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?" (Hemingway 105). This quote is very meaningful because it shows the confusion someone can have about killing or destroying something they love. I like this one because it really makes you think what is moral and what is not.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

 Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #8

For being a fictional novel, it is actually pretty similar to a few real life events during the war. The novel takes place in a small town in Northern Europe with invading enemy soldiers who are also at war with Russia and England. This is very similar to the real life event of Germany invading Norway during World War II. The novel also surprisingly represents the Norwegian resistance very well as the introduction of the novel states. I am also pretty sure that some of the rulings and the reactions from the people involved in the invasion are similar to real life reactions from people involved in WWII.

Obviously, considering John Steinbeck wrote this novel to be a work of propaganda during World War II, the war and its events inspired John Steinbeck to write The Moon is Down. He wrote the novel to help inspire people in invaded countries to act out against the people who invaded them and start their own resistances. For being such an accomplished author at the time this book was written, you know that Steinbeck really believed in the cause to write this novel. This novel is not known for its literally greatness like most of the other novels Steinbeck wrote, but just for the impact in made during the war.

One of the main relationships that the author includes in this novel is the commanding officer to his men in the military. The people in different ranks can be friends and get along really well but when it comes down to it, one has to outrank the other, and overrule them. "You're not a man anymore. You are a soldier. Your comfort is of no importance and, Lieutenant your life isn't of much importance. (Steinbeck 99). Lanser has to show his superiority over Lieutenant Prackle when he requests to go home. Another relationship Steinbeck writes about is a Mayor and his people. Mayor Orden has a great relationship with his people where they listen to him and respect him immensely. Normally in novels, the leaders are corrupt and bad towards the people, but this is not the case here.It is a nice change to see people actually respect their leaders.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #7

As with war novels written in any time, John Steinbeck uses suspense as a technique to keep his readers interested in his story. In a novel involving war you never know what can happen next. You do not know who will win what battle, who will attack where next, or what will happen to people on each side of the war during each event. In the novels open, Colonel Lanser is discussing what he wants to see happen during the rest of his and his men's stay in the town they invaded with it's leader, Mayor Orden. the Mayor says that he does not control how his people act, so he does not know how they will react to the invaders. "They are orderly under their own government. I don't know how they would be under yours. It is untouched ground-" (Steinbeck 15-16). This starts off the novel with the reader having no idea how the townspeople will react and continues on throughout the novel. the scene with Molly and Lieutenant Tonder is also very suspenseful because it just abruptly ends after Molly hides a kitchen knife under her skirt when Tonder knocks on her door. The reader does not find out what happens until almost two chapters later when Colonel Lanser offhandedly mentions that Lieutenant Tonder was killed.

Another topic that the author uses to keep his readers interested is his sense of mystery. The entire concept of the parachutes is very mysterious. the reader never finds out who sends them, or why this town was chosen to receive them. All we know is that this town is the only one to receive the parachutes because they are some kind of test to see if the parachutes will work if they are dropped everywhere. The parachutes include a stick of dynamite and a piece of chocolate, so people will keep looking for them and picking them up. I think that his is a really cool concept and it kept me interested until the end of the novel.


Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #6

Most classic novels that are still popular and well known today are remembered for there well developed, interesting characters or a incredible story that keeps readers intrigued till the very end. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck is different. It was not written for it to be remembered years later, it was written to be used as a work of propaganda during World War II. It was a very successful work, used to inspire people of invaded countries to act up against the people who has invaded them. The book was secretly distributed throughout Western Europe, and praised for its surprisingly accurate portrayal of the resistance movement. One of the reasons that the book is around and still relevant today is that there always seems to be a new war going on. After World War II there was the Vietnam War and the War on Terror that is still going on. With war being the most prominent aspect of the book, people in war environments can still relate to what happens in the book. We do not have to worry about people invading America any time soon, but other countries especially in the Middle East still have to worry about it. The book is also still popular because it gives you a perspective on how war effects both side of people: the enemy and the people who are invaded. "Steinbeck had decided to write a work of fiction using what he had learned about the physiological effects of enemy occupation upon the populace of conquered nations." (Introduction viii).

I would think that the main reasons that the Moon is Down is still popular is because of the war in Iraq. Although World War II and the Iraq War are very different, the book can still apply to both. Reading the novel in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan or any other country greatly involved in war, can help inspire their people to want to fight back also.


Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #5

This novel does not have a set time period that it takes place in, or at least it does not state one. But, we know that John Steinbeck wrote this novel during World War II to be used as propaganda. This novel has several parallels to the events of World War II and the countries involved. The enemy soldiers of the book invade a small town while they are at war with England and Russia. This is comparable to the real life event of the Germans invading Norway and how the Norwegians reacted to being invaded. Steinbeck wrote the novel to hopefully inspire other people to act out against the people who invaded them like the townspeople do to their enemies in this novel. Years after the novel was written and the war over, Steinbeck goes to Germany to receive a medal. "He was asked on several occasions how he knew so well what the resistance there was doing. His answer was, "I put myself in your place and thought what I would do." (Introduction xxiii).  This shows that even though Steinbeck was in America, which was not invaded by any country, he has a amazing understanding about how people would fell with these situations.

In a war filled era, many books and other works of literature were created about the war or involving the war, for the war. The Moon is Down is one of the only ones that is around today because of how different it is than other books. Steinbeck examines how both sides of the war feel and react to the events of the invasions, and this is uncommon. Books normally take one side and stick to it, and you do not hear about the other. this is why lots of people read it during the war, to show that the soldiers are human just like the people and war hurts them too. in the novel the soldiers are beaten down more than the townspeople, and that gives other people hope to beat their enemy too.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #4

The hero of The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck is Mayor Orden. I consider him the hero because he stands up for what he believes is right for his town and standing against Colonel Lanser's bullying. He does not order them to follow what Colonel Lanser and his men want, he understands that being a good leader involves letting the people decide how to feel about getting invaded. Some leaders would become very afraid if enemy soldiers invaded their town or country, and some might even flee. Mayor Orden changes nothing about how he oversees his town. He lets his people decided how to fight back against the enemy. when he and Doctor Winter get arrested because of his people's actions, Orden knows that he will probably get shot at the next act of uprising. He understands that he his life may have to be sacrificed to really stir the fire under the townspeople and start a revolt to get the enemy out of their town.  Colonel Lanser is a good leader too, I have to say. He oversees his men with many years of knowledge and makes good decisions towards his cause with the townspeople. His faults are with obviously the fact that he fights for the "bad guys", and that he does not understand Orden letting his people act of their own will. "They are orderly under their own government. I don't know how they would be under yours." (Steinbeck 16).

Mayor Orden represents the idea of good, he is a figure most of the townspeople look up too, and have great respect for. He has been in office for many years and prior to the enemy arriving, he probably would have held the office for many more years. With the enemy comes a great burden on Mayor Orden. He knows that he himself can not do anything against the enemy publicly and risk more people's lives. He sneaks around helping a few boys in the night leave to sail for England to get away from the enemy. He holds this burden well until most likely he will be shot by the enemy.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #3

The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck has a different type of theme than normal books. The novel was written during World War II for the sole purpose of being used as propaganda in countries in Western Europe. The books theme is about people rising above their conquerors and resisting their rule. Steinbeck wrote the novel to try and inspire the people in other invaded countries to try and resist their enemies, and give them hope for the end of the war. Hope seems lost in the townspeople when winter hits until these little parachutes start coming down out of the sky. They have two small packages attached: a piece of chocolate and a small stick of dynamite. There are instructions on how to use the dynamite and where to place it and light the explosives. The enemy soldiers start to become very nervous with this new power in the hands of the townspeople. The soldiers arrest Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter, to try and fend off the happening of a revolt. The last passage of the novel is there to really represent the reality of a revolt against the enemy, and to keep pushing forward for freedom, "Will you remember to pay the debt?' Winter closed his eyes for a moment before he answered, 'The debt shall be paid.'" (Steinbeck 112).

Another theme the book represents is the effects war has on people. You can tell that when the enemy comes in they are strong and confident, but as the townspeople begin to hate them, their confidence wavers. They become sad and wish to go home, and start being afraid of the people they conquered. The townspeople are the complete opposite of the soldiers. They become invaded and are scared by the enemy when hey start shooting people. After the parachutes arrive the townspeople's confidence is renewed. The novel shows the differences of how the enemy and the townspeople are affected by the war.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #2

The conflict in the novel, The Moon is Down, is pretty self explanatory from the start. Enemy soldiers invade a peaceful town at the beginning of the novel. Six people end up getting killed in the struggle. Colonel Lanser meets with Mayor Orden to discuss his  terms and tell him that he and his men need to stay in the upstairs of the Mayor's house. One of Lanser's officers, Captain Bentick, gets stabbed and killed by one of the workers in the mine who had gotten mad at Captain Loft. Because of this, Alex Morden, gets tried and shot, and the soldiers become more strict. The soldiers begin to ration the food, taking away if the people act bad, and rewarding those who behave and follow the rules. Soon winter hits and moral becomes low on both sides of the war. Little blue parachutes begin to come floating down out of the sky. They include small sticks of dynamite, and pieces of chocolate. Colonel Laser and his troupe become nervous and "arrest" Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter. The novel ends with Dr. Winter promising Orden to keep faith in the resistance after Orden will most likely be killed.

The really interesting part of this novel is that we get to see both sides to the effects of the conflict. We see this most prominently when winter hits. The soldiers are beginning to feel the extent of their hatred by the townspeople, and their attitudes reflect this. "The men of the battalion came to detest the place they had conquered, and they were curt with the people and the people were curt with them, and gradually a little fear began to grow in the conquerors, a fear that it would never be over-" (Steinbeck 58). Anger starts building up in the townspeople and climaxes with Molly stabbing Lieutenant Tonder. As the book progresses you think the events that are happening is the main conflict, but it really is the townspeople's attitude against the soldier's attitude.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down #1

John Steinbeck wrote The Moon is Down during World War II to be used as propaganda. Because of this, the novel strongly represents the author's, and most of America's, thoughts during the war. After finishing the book, I realized that this novel was used as a different kind of propaganda then you would think. When I hear propaganda I think documents with war secrets , or weaponry information, but this book is different because it does not give away any war secrets, it instils a feeling of hope to those fighting or affected by the war. People reading the novel throughout Western Europe can get a new faith in their cause to keep fighting. I am sure at the time the novel was written, there were not many war novels that gave such human qualities to the enemy soldiers. "Captain Bentick was a family man, a lover of dogs and pink children and Christmas." (Steinbeck 20). All of the soldiers got characteristics like this one. Steinbeck seems to understand that the enemy is human just like they are. The Leader of the invaders is without a name or anything. He is the only character that does not receive any human qualities. This makes sense because Steinbeck compares The Leader to Adolf Hitler, and very few people even today consider him human.

This book is written in a third person omniscient point of view. The story is told so that the reader knows what both the invading soldiers and the townspeople are thinking. I think that the book is so much more real because you get to know both sides of the story, and how everyone is affected by each event. The author shows a group of people can come together and unite for the common goal of getting the invaders out of their country. This novel gave people whose own countries were invaded, hope to beat their own enemies and force them out of their homes.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down Chapter 8

After finishing the novel I feel incomplete. The book just seems to end out of no where. The chapter starts with Doctor Winter going to visit Mayor Orden after they have been both arrested. Orden brings up a speech he gave at his graduation forty-six years ago. He quoted a portion of Socrates' Apology. Dr. Winter and Colonel Lanser help prompt Orden in his speech until he can remember no more of it. The three men then discuss the dynamite and how Lanser wants to stop its use. Orden and Winter say that they cannot control if the people can use it or not. "'But you think they will light it?' Lanser insisted. The Mayor spoke proudly, 'Yes they will light it. I have no choice of living or dying, you see, sir- I do have a choice of how I do it. If I tell them not to fight, they will be sorry, but the will fight. If I tell them to fight, they will be glad, and I who am not a very brave man will have made them a little braver.'" (Steinbeck 110-111). The Mayor has so much faith in his people to do the right thing and fight back against the enemy who invaded them. He believes that his people do not want to be conquered so they will not let themselves be. It was only a matter of time.

I think that Mayor Orden is a great leader. He knows that his people will fight back and he will most likely be killed by the soldiers, and has accepted that fact. "No- They can't arrest the Mayor. The Mayor is an idea conceived by free men. It will escape arrest." (Steinbeck 112). Orden means that even when he is killed the idea of freedom will not leave the people. His last request of Doctor Winter in the novel is if he will repay the debt. I was not sure what that meant, so after looking it up I found that it means when Orden dies if Winter will still make sure the people resist the enemy.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down Chapter 7

In the beginning of chapter seven a group of soldiers are discussing some consequences of the war. One soldier mentions how it is strange that the townspeople are allowed to have dogs when they do not have very much food. "They took my dog when they took the others,-" "Couldn't have dogs eating up food that was needed." (Steinbeck 88). I find it so sad that the conditions are so bad that the leaders are taking away some of the only happiness that the people have just because dogs have to eat too .It is also mentioned that they want to know what dog breeds are going to be in America. This means that The Leader wants to invade Americas next. I know that this does not happen but it gives a perspective on how ahead in the war the soldiers actually thought they were.

These little packages that are sent out really are ingenious. They will give the people hope for safety and put fear into the enemy about when they will use the dynamite. The chocolate is a very good incentive for the people to find it. Most of the people, I would assume, have at least one of these packages and will probably use it. Prackle wants to go home and when he approaches Lancer about it it turns him down. "You're not a man anymore. You are a soldier. Your comfort is of no importance and, Lieutenant your life isn't of much importance. (Steinbeck 99). This shows how the soldiers cannot think about themselves they are there for the cause and how to stay until its finished. Their are no cop-outs. Corell wants to arrest Orden and Doctor Winter to show the townspeople who is in charge so they will not use the dynamite. He even goes over Colonel Lanser's head to overpower him to do what he thinks is right. We will have to see how it will end up turning out.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

Th Moon is Down Chapters 5-6

The fifth chapter of the Moon is Down talks of the soldiers wearing down. They have been in this town for months now. The townspeople hate them for being there. Food is being rationed and used as an incentive for the townspeople to behave. The soldiers want to go home, or hear good news about the war. "Thus it came about that the conquerors grew afraid of the conquered and their nerves wore thin and they shot at shadows in the night. The cold, sullen silence was with them always." (Steinbeck 59). These soldiers want to go home, they want this invasion to end. They miss their families and want to hear what things are like in the other towns.

On the other hand, chapter six talks about how some of the townspeople are reacting to the soldiers being in town for so long. They hate it. If they act out they will get get their food taken away or worse, shot and killed. Molly is adjusting to her new life since her husband was killed when Annie comes for a visit. She says that two boys are leaving to sail to England  to escape after their brother was shot and the Mayor is coming to Molly's house to talk with them and her. After Annie leaves to go and get them Lieutenant Tonder stops by. He wants to talk with Molly because he finds her lovely. Molly does not want anything to do with him, but she says she will if he gets her some food. In their discussion you can tell that the loneliness is eating away at Molly and she seems crazy. At the end of the chapter, after Orden and the Anders boys leave, Tonder comes back. Before letting him in, Molly grabs a sharp pair of scissors and hides them in her skirt. Molly is probably going to kill Tonder and this will have terrible results. The soldiers are going to retaliate hard after another hit to an officer.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down Chapters 3-4

In these two chapters of The Moon is Down the trial of Alex Morden is discussed and carried out. Alex was ordered by Captain Loft to return back to work in the mines and Alex refused. He claimed he was a free man and he should not be told when to work. He became angry and tried to hit Loft with a pick, but Captain Bentick interferes and gets stabbed. Bentick ends up dieing and Alex will probably get shot for his crime. Lanser wants to hold a trial really for no reason it seems. They have already made their decision that Alex must be shot and nothing he says will change his mind. The soldiers want to shoot Alex to show the people what will happen if they do something like this again. Lanser just wants to public to think that Orden ruled that Alex is guilty so they think that he is on the soldiers side. Before the trial we meet Molly, Alex's wife. She gets visibly upset in her short stay at the Mayor's house, and I believe that she was probably the one to shoot at the window hitting Prackle's shoulder. If she was not actually the one to shoot the gun, she told someone to. 

"Yours was the first clear act. Your private anger was the beginning of a public anger." (Steinbeck 54). Mayor Orden was right when he said this. Alex's attack is going to park a lot of courage in the other townspeople to fight against these invading soldiers. Starting when someone, probably Molly, shot at Prackle's shoulder, these people are going to revolt. They are going to get together and plan some sort of attack on the soldiers. "And understand this, please: we will shoot, five, ten, a hundred for one." (Steinbeck 56). Lanser and his soldiers are going to retaliate after each of the attacks the townspeople plan. I assume that several more of the townspeople will get shot, and probably another soldier or two also. This war is about to start in this town.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down Chapter 2

In chapter two of The Moon is Down we are introduced to the characters of Colonel Lanser's troop of soldiers. Captain Bentick is an older soldier who is still in his rank of Captain from "A curious lack of ambition" (Steinbeck 20). Bentick is the soldier who first met with Mayor Orden and Dr. Winter to check for firearms, before Colonel Lanser steps in. Major Hunter is a very logical man. He works as an engineer who designs for their mission. He says that he has a model train line at home and he wants to build a bridge for it. He seems to not really enjoy his time in the military. Captain Loft is the youngest officer on the mission. Loft loves the military, he believes that a soldier is the "highest development of animal life". (Steinbeck 21). He will make a career out of his time in the military, and probably stay there until he dies or has to retire from the service. Lieutenant Prackle is a very good artist who has several good looking sisters that he is very protective of. Lieutenant Tonder is a poet. He is a dark romantic who imagines these big elaborate fantasies for his life. "He imagined his death very ofter, lighted by a fair setting sun which glinted on broken military equipment, his men standing silently around him, with heads sunk low" (Steinbeck 22).

Obviously the Leader that these men refer to is the idea of Hitler. The Leader has not been given a name, and probably will not be. Lanser suggests to Corell that he should be sent away and be given a different task. Corell thinks that he will be fine because the people of the town are peaceful. Already we know this is not true because the people threw rocks at Corell's head and a miner murdered Bentick. These soldiers are not prepared for the people of this town's reaction. I am not sure how yet, but something major will have to happen in the book to the soldiers to convince them that these people care about being invaded.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down Chapter 1

Before I started reading The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck, I had not previously heard of it. When we were told it was one of the required reads this summer, I was surprised. Normally these books are very popular classics that lots of people have heard of, but I could not even find a copy of this at Barnes and Noble! I had to go and order it. After reading the back of the novel and the Introduction chapter, I realized that the book was not popular for its literary success, but for its use of being propaganda during World War II. The book was secretly printed and distributed throughout Western Europe during the war. When The Moon is Down begins, Colonel Lanser and his troop of soldiers arrive at Mayor Orden's house. Lanser tells the Mayor and Doctor Winter that a well liked man from their town, George Corell has been helping the enemy. "Your Excellency, our friend, George Corell, prepared this town for invasion. Our Benefactor, George Corell, sent our soldiers into the hills. Our dinner guest, George Corell, has made a list of every firearm in the town." (Steinbeck 13). The Colonel ends their discussion by "asking" to set up camp in the upper rooms of the Mayor's house.

It is not surprising to me that Colonel Lanser did not under stand the concept of the people actually leading the town. Although Mayor Orden is in charge, he listens to his people and does a lot to help them. Orden is very well liked by his people, and Lanser is used to his people being scared into submission. Orden said, a little proudly, "My people don't like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different form your people. I am confused, but that I am sure of." (Steinbeck 17). I would assume that the people of this town are not going to take being invaded very easily; they will probably fight back.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye vs. Fahrenheit 451

To get all of my fifty blogs done this summer, I decided to obviously read the two required books, The Old Man and the Sea, and The Moon is Down. I also picked two of the optional books, The Catcher in the Rye and Fahrenheit 451 in order to get all of my blogs finished. After completing three-fourths of my blogs, I have read all the books except for the July required book, The Moon is Down. For this blog I am going to compare the two optional books I choose. As I stated way back in May, when I read The Catcher in the Rye, I liked it so much because it reminded me a lot of my favorite book, It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. Fahrenheit 451, on the other hand did not really remind me too much of another book because I do not like science fiction as much, so I do not read too many of them except for school (like 1984). I have to say I liked The Catcher in the Rye better. I still am not happy with the end of Fahrenheit 451, other then the ending of the book, I did like it too. I feel like as a teenager, I relate more to Holden and the stress he is going through, instead of the moral difficulties that Guy Montag goes through, and that is always important in the books I read.

I have been recommending The Catcher in the Rye to other in my class as well as some other people who have not read it in school. Just some of the thing that Holden says like, "A lot of people keep asking me if I'm going to apply myself when I go back to school in September. I mean how do you know what you're going to do until you do it? The answer is you don't. I think I am, but how do I know?" (Salinger 213), remind me so much about how teenagers act now of days too. I see this lack luster attitude towards school all the time with people.

 Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.

Icarus and Daedalus

One of the things Captain Beatty says in the novel really surprises me. "'Well,' said Beatty, 'now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he's burnt his damn wings, he wonders why.'" (Bradbury 113). This was so surprising because it is a reference to the Greek myth Icarus and Daedalus. Beatty claims never to have read a book in his extensive library, but this myth is not the most widely know, so I am not sure how else he would have heard of it. Much less known enough about it to reference it. I mentioned this fact briefly in a different blog, but I like the myth so much I wanted to dedicate a whole blog to it. I think it was a great thing to say to Montag at the time, because it fit so perfectly. Montag went against what Beatty told him, and now he was facing the repercussions.This myth shows that you should always heed warnings from others, or face the consequences.

Daedalus was asked by King Minos to build a magical labyrinth to contain the mythical creature the Minotaur, a animal with the body of a man with the head of a bull. When the king's daughter Adrianne asked Daedalus to reveal the secrets of the maze, he does. You see, Midas sends children to be "tributes" to feed the Minotaur. (Hunger Games anyone?) Adrianne fell in love with the hero, Theseus, and when he volunteered to kill the Minotaur, she had to do something. When Adrianne told Theseus the secret of the labyrinth, he escaped killing the Minotaur. When Minos found out it was Daedalus' fault he imprisoned him and his son Icarus into the labyrinth. Daedalus created wings for himself and Icarus to wear to escape. He told his son not to fly to close to water, so the wings would not get wet, and not to fly to close to the sun, so the wax holding the feathers would not melt. Icarus was overwhelmed with the joy of flying and flew to close to the sun, melting his wings and falling to his death. (Island Ikaria).

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

"Island Ikaria." The Myth Of Ikaros & Daedalus Icaros Greek Mythology Ikarus Icarus Myth. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2012. <http://www.island-ikaria.com/culture/myth.asp>.

Fahrenheit 452 #8

Considering that the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury takes place in the future, it does not accurately reflect events in history. Events now, in the present, reflect the events that go on in the book, but this is purely by coincidence. All that is going on today about technology and censorship reflect a starting point for where the novel takes place. Obviously we are no where near the severity of where it is at in the novel, but there is a chance that if we allow censorship and technology to take over our society, that our world could end end up like Ray Bradbury predicted. The author also touched on the husband, wife, and family relationships, and how they are changed so much in this society. In one instance Mildred and Guy were discussing how they first met. "'The first time we ever met, where was it and when?' "Why, it was at-' She stopped. "I don't know,'" (Bradbury 43). The people of this society are so disinterested in what is going around them, some do not even know details about their relationship that in the present, are considered some of the most important details. When Mildred meets with a few of her friends, their attitude towards their children is almost scary. "I've had two children by Caesarian section. No use going through all that agony for a baby. The world must reproduce, you know, the race must go on. Besides they sometimes look just like you, and that's nice." (Bradbury 96). Their nonchalant attitude shows how little these women actually care about their families.

I so not know if certain people are events inspired Ray Bradbury to write this novel, but I can be sure that the fear of his ideas being taken away was a part of it. Bradbury was a outspoken man who said what he thought. The idea of changing what he had written to suit someone who had a problem with his work was never going to happen. This probably had to do with the theme of censorship in his novel.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 #7

The author uses several literary techniques to keep the readers interested until the end. One of the most prominent techniques is the use of mystery. From the start of the novel to its twist ending, Ray Bradbury is a master at keeping the reader in suspense. I had no idea what was going to happen when I was reading this novel, and that is one of the reasons I enjoyed reading it. The biggest surprise in the novel happened when Montag turned the flame thrower on Captain Beatty and killed him. I knew Montag was angry but I would have never guessed that he would end up killing someone. It did not even seem like Montag even knew was he was doing until it was happening. "He twitched the safety catch on the flame thrower. Beatty glanced instantly at Montag's fingers and his widened that faintest bit. Montag saw the surprise there and himself glanced to his hands to see what new thing they had done" (Bradbury 119). Another surprise I would have never guessed was the war, and the bomb. The war never really came up in the story until the very end, and that shows how oblivious society really is to real matters. Although the was was was surprising and kept me interested, I would have like to see some foreshadowing or something else leading up to it.

The other technique the author uses to keep readers interested is his sense of originality. Although I do not read many science fiction novels, this one does stand out as the most original. I never would have heard of a novel about burning books until this one, and I will probably not hear of one like this again. This book is an original in a sea of copies. Most authors today write about vampires and werewolfs and magic, instead of coming up with their own stories. The world of literature would be so much better if authors just wrote original material.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 #6

We still read the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury today because of its timeless message about the dangers of censorship. He created a society where censorship has progressed so much that owning and reading a book is now illegal. Ray Bradbury thought back in the year 1953 when he first wrote the novel that technology would soon overpower books and help control how society was run. Mildred, Montag's wife, is so immersed into their "wall screens", basically television screens that take up the entire wall, she considers the actors in them to be her family. Mildred sits in a room with three of the four walls covered in a television screen; she spends most of her day watching them and even wants another, "How long you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall TV out in? It's only two thousand dollars." (Bradbury 20). Mildred, much like the rest of society in the novel, act so melancholy and just settle for the mundane, mind numbing activity of watching television all day. People do not care about getting their minds stimulated, or learning. This novel is so relevant even today, because of how much technology is becoming a part of our lives. This book helps restore people's faith in books, and make them more aware of censorship in their lives.

The novel is so timeless because Ray Bradbury did not put a date on his futuristic portrayal of the country. As the years have passed since the book was written, and some of the things he wrote about start coming true, the book keeps getting more and more relevant. No one would want the events of the novel or the eventual outcome to come true. Reading this novel shows readers a glimpse into a world where ideas are censored, people think the same, and books are burnt. People still read this book today and will keep reading it in the future because of how real the issues are becoming.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 #5

I cannot really accurately answer the question, "How does the novel reflect the history, behavior, and social issues of the time period?", about this novel because it takes place in the future. Ray Bradbury created the world of Fahrenheit 451 to show readers what society would be like if they gave in to censorship and let technology rule society. Bradbury does not give the reader a real glance into the history of how this society was made, all we know is the twisted re-telling of how firefighters came to be.  There is no real social and/or behavioral issues in this time period because the people are all the same. Society is brainwashed into not having there own ideas, being very mellow, and not having mental stimulation. Therefore, no one in society could cause any issues that could upset the balance. The only issue is one of books. Most of that issue is taken care of by the firemen of the city burning the books, until Montag comes along. "Those people, their houses, and most importantly their books are eliminated through fire" (Bradbury 35). Montag questions society and is punished for it. The city holds an investigation and a chase to try and find them. People have such a short attention span, the chase was cut short, and the police just captured a unsuspecting man instead of Montag, so the television viewers could watch their scheduled shows.

The symbolic message of this novel is as simple as what can happen to society if you censor their ideas. We would not want our society today to become this world that is in Fahrenheit 451, so we pay more attention to the censoring done now. People are able to realize that censorship is bad, and attempt to stop it before it becomes to great to return from. Ray Bradbury knew that the censorship of books and ideas would be met with disastrous results, with our freedom of speech was taken away.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 #4

The obvious hero in Fahrenheit 451 is Guy Montag. He is an unusual hero, some people probably would not even consider him one in the first place. Unlike most heroes, Montag never has that heroic moment that defines him, the point where he realizes his flaws, over comes them, and becomes a true hero. Montag let himself be bullied by Captain Beatty and controlled by Faber. Beatty pushes Montag to his breaking point with his crazy talk about what he believes about books, "What traitors books can be! You think they're backing you up, and they turn on you. Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives." (Bradbury 107). Montag listens to Beatty and becomes confused, onto let out of his daze by Faber's voice talking to him in his ear. Montag never really makes a conscious decision about books, after Clarisse talks to him about the past he takes a book, almost by accident. Faber coaches and instructs Montag after they decide to work together to develop copies of the bible. The only decision Montag makes that is all his own doing, is murdering Beatty with a flame thrower. A true hero would never stoop so low to murder someone. Guy Montag is the protagonist and the hero of the novel. Just not a conventional hero.

After Guy is exposed to the world of books, and runs away from the city, he meets people on the train tracks. These professors welcome Montag into their group after they learn he has a portion of the Bible memorized, Ecclesiastes and Revelation. The professors also have certain books memorized and hope to one day write them down again. It is like a mental library of some sorts. The only true heroic thing Montag accomplishes is trying to keep alive the knowledge of what is inside books with the professors.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 #3

One universal theme that this book addresses is the idea of book censorship. Ray Bradbury was a very smart, outspoken man who did not like the idea of his own ideas being cut down or stopped because of censorship. He took this mentality and formed it into the idea for his novel, Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury shows the readers the dangers of what society would be like if it was censored of books. People in society are generally getting lazier and lazier and developing shorter attention spans due to the increase of technology. Bradbury believes that people will soon not have the patience to be able to sit down and concentrate to read a novel, so publishers are censoring and cutting down the material. You do not see as many 500 hundred page novels being popular anymore. When Ray Bradbury wrote this novel, anthologies of lots of other novels combined were very popular. He comments on how these storied were shortened in the Coda, "Simplicity itself, skin, debone, demarrow, scarify, melt, render down and destroy" (Bradbury 176).

In today's time, books are already being censored. Harry Potter, a great book series that many children read and start them on a lifetime love of reading (Me included. I read The Sorcerer's Stone in first grade), is banned in some school districts. Because of its "witchcraft and magical" ideals, some people think that the novel will influence their children negativity. Like Bradbury, I do not see the need to censor books. The Catcher in the Rye is another book people love to sensor for its language and moral dealings (Time Staff). I read this book earlier this summer, and I loved it. I would hate if we were not allowed to read it because it is such a truthful look into a teenager's mind. Like Ray Bradbury predicted, the world is already censoring books. Who knows how long before our society becomes like the one in Fahrenheit 451.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

 Time Staff. "Removing the N Word from Huck Finn: Top 10 Censored Books." TIME.com. Time, 07 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Aug. 2011.

Fahrenheit 451 #2

There are basically two main conflicts in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The first conflict is the external conflict between Guy Montag and Captain Beatty. Their conflict starts when Captain Beatty stops by Montag's house to confront Montag about the book he stole from the old lady's house before it was burned. It continues on throughout the novel until their final confrontation near the end of the novel. Beatty brings Montag out on a call and they end up at Montag's house. Beatty gives Montag a flame thrower and tells him to burn his books. "I want you to do this job all by your lonesome, Montag. Not with kerosene and a match, but piecework with a flame thrower. Your house, your cleanup" (Bradbury 116). Montag burns his books and his house around them. The power of the flames and the anger against Beatty building up inside Montag erupts and he turns the fire on Beatty. "And then he was a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling gibbering mannikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on him." (Bradbury 119). Beatty knew that Montag had stolen that first book, and tried to convince Montag to just stop there. Montag was already to far immersed into the secretive world of books to listen to him.

The second conflict is an internal on inside Montag's mind. From first meeting Professor Faber before the events of the novel even took place to meeting the strange girl across the street: Clarisse; Montag begins to question his moral obligation to his job. He steals a book on the job and then he reveals he has a secret stash of books in his house. Montag always questioned why he does his job but he never acted on it, stealing the Bible finally pushed him to the point of no return. Montag sets off on a chain of events that changes his life forever.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 #1

Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in the year 1953, a year where there was very little technology available to the majority of people. Most families did not even have a television. The novel is almost entirely about how technology and censorship took away books and therefore changed society. Ray Bradbury had these ideas about what the future could be like. Unlike George Orwell's 1984, this novel is not dated making it still have an impact to society years after it was written. Bradbury knew and predicted even back then how much of an impact television and technology have on society. "In the average American household, just like Guy Montag's house, there are more T.V.'s then people." (Green 2:49). The author had a really good grasp on understanding that technology would become so important. You can, from the turnout of the novel, think that the author thought that if our society became so dependent on technology it would ruin us. The author obviously really loves and respects books, (I mean he is an author), and hates to see books censored and condensed. He says in the Coda about an anthology with 400 short stories, "Every story, slenderized, starved, bluepenciled, leeched and bled white, resembled every other story" (Bradbury 176). He can see the fact that we are shortening and shortening these works of literature, and soon there will be nothing left.

Fahrenheit 451 is written from the perspective of Guy Montag. It is a third person limited narration. Guy is a firefighter who begins to question the purpose of his job after meeting a strange seventeen year old girl, Clarisse and an old professor who also has books. He steals a copy of the Bible at an old woman's house while he is on the job to burn all of her books and her house. From there, his curiosity grows and he immerses himself in the world of books and has to live with the consequences.

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

 Green, John. "Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander." Video blog post. Youtube. N.p., 10 July 2012. Web. 16 July 2012.

Burning Bright

The conclusion to this novel was very surprising. I would have never guessed that it would end with Montag on the run with the other professors and a bomb being dropped on their city. I do not think that the idea of the war was presented well. All of a sudden, near the end of the novel voices in the Seashell announced war was declared. There was no real reason why said in the novel, which is strange considering how well thought out everything is in the novel. I would have liked to see some basis for the war that basically ended the novel. I thought Captain Beatty as the antagonist in the novel was perfect. He was the perfect amount of smart and crazy mixed together. I thought his death was rather fitting as well: being burnt to death by Montag. Beatty did surprise me when he made a literary reference to the Greek myth about Icarus and Daedalus. "'Well,' said Beatty, 'Now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he's burnt his damn wings, he wonders why" (Bradbury 113). Beatty could not have known that if he had not read it somewhere.

I found several of the things that the professors on the run said very profound. "But that's the wonderful thing about man; he never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important and worth doing" (Bradbury 153). This is an important quote because it shows even though these professors are vastly outnumbered in their quest to bring back the books to the world, they will not stop. Granger also has another quote, talking about what it really means to live your life. "It doesn't matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away." (Bradbury 157).

 Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

The Sieve and the Sand

In the second part of the novel we are introduced to the character of Professor Faber. Montag meets Faber in the park a while before the start of the book and sees him reading a book. Faber gives Montag his address, basically saying that Montag can either turn him in, or they can become friends. This exchange seems to be the beginning of the doubt Montag has about his job. After Montag's confrontation with Beatty at his house, Montag drops by Faber's apartment. Montag tells Faber of his plan to stop the firefighters. His plan sounds like a good idea: planting books in the fire stations, and watching them get burned because of it. But I think there would be some problems with it. Most firefighters if not all, do not have this seed of doubt that Montag has, they are all brainwashed into thinking books are bad. They would not react the way Montag and Faber would want.

I find the meeting of Mildred with her two friends Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles very strange. The women's conversations are so shallow and superficial it is incredible. they talk about things like how they only voted for the last president based on looks, and the nonchalant way they discuss their children, "I put up with them when they come home three days a month;it's not bad at all. You heave them into the 'parlor' and turn the switch. It's like washing clothes: stuff laundry in and slam the lid" (Bradbury 96). This is an example of how superficial society has become. They do not think for themselves, Mildred even considers the actors on her wall screens her family. The screens have a part written out so the person at home watching, can read the lines and feel like they are really interacting with the actors. Books were outlawed because society did not want the authors to plant ideas into the people's heads. They want everyone to think the same.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

The Hearth and the Salamander

Starting off reading Fahrenheit 451, I was reminded of another novel, 1984. This world where books were outlawed and you were burned if you were in possession of one is similar to George Orwell's tale of Big Brother taking over people's minds. The history of the firefighters as told by Beatty to Montag seems like it was changed to suit the firefighters of this time and their job of burning books. In 1984, Winston's job of changing the newspaper articles to suit Big Brother's plan is the same kind of brainwash. I keep getting a weird post-apocalyptic vibe from this novel, probably because the people are so disconnected and think the same. I do like the novel so far. It keeps my interest because I do not know what will happen next, and it is very different from the books I normally read. Earlier this summer, Ray Bradbury died. This made me want to read this novel even more with all of this talk about how great of an author Bradbury was. I for one, could not imagine a world where there was not any books. I love reading and I always love getting new books to read. Burning books to not give people new ideas is an extreme reason.

Guy Montag works as a fireman. He meets a girl, Clarisse McCellan who changes most of his view about life. Clarisse is a very odd girl; she knows all of this information from the past,because her uncle supposedly told her. I like the character of Clarisse because she questions Montag's beliefs about his work and personality, "You laugh when I haven't been funny and you answer right off. You never stop to think what I've asked you" (Bradbury 8). I was really disappointed when we found out her character might have died. She could have more of a pivotal character coming up in the novel. Mildred treats her death so nonchalantly, like most people in their society are supposed to.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.