What are "White Clowns" in the book Fahrenheit 451?

Question

I have to read Fahrenheit 451 for english class and answers these questions and these questions and yes I did look at sparknotes for some of the answers and it didn't give me anything:

What are White Clowns and what role do they play on televison?

Why did Faber chose the Book of Job from the Old Testament as his first thing to read and how does this relate to Montag?

What advice is Faber offering Montag when he makes the statement, "If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn?

Why does Faber think that the people, not hte government, brought upon themselves the present state of affairs?

Thank you for your help!!!!!

I did read the book...those are just the parts i didn't understand....and i have searched for the movie and no one has it.

Answer 1

- What are White Clowns and what role do they play on televison?

White Clowns are a reference to several sitcoms that were on television and the movies at the time.

- Why did Faber chose the Book of Job from the Old Testament as his first thing to read and how does this relate to Montag?

Read the Book of Job and you'll understand. Essentially, Satan tempts Job to commit sins and God punishes him irregardless as a little "bet" between God and Satan to test Jobs faith. There are many parallels in the Book of Job to Fahrenheit 451. Montag is tempted by books and he begins questioning his faith believing that perhaps the system is misguided.

- What advice is Faber offering Montag when he makes the statement, "If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn?

The same advice everyone should heed. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's how we learn. There's a difference between knowing you are right and believing you are right.

- Why does Faber think that the people, not hte government, brought upon themselves the present state of affairs?

It was the people who stood idly by and let the government ban books. The people had an opportunity to stop the laws that were passed but they chose to do nothing.

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Don't let these questions confuse you as to what the book was about. It wasn't so much about censorship as it was about people living vicariously because of new technology, namely television. Montag's uneasiness throughout the book could best be termed as alienation in the sense of Karl Marx. Montag was disconnected from the natural world, as was every one else in the Fahrenheit 451. They were so consumed by the entertainment brought by television and the ability to get from Point A to Point B quickly because of cars that they stopped living in the natural world and lived vicariously through television. Witness popular shows such as "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "Gilligan's Island", "Gomer Pyle", and "I Dream of Jeannie"; which were popular at the time. People began living their lives through technology as opposed to going outside and experiencing it for themselves. Think about how Clarisse early on in the book was considered such an oddity because she actually stopped to smell the flowers and looked at the clouds in the sky. Think about that and then think about how many people live today. We aren't at the point of burning books, nor do I think we will ever come to that; but people's disinterest in anything beyond what the television tells them to think about is a cause for concern.

Answer 2

Hmmmm - next time you might actually read the book -- while you still have the right to. The book is about, of course, a society forbidden to read. Ironic, isnt it?

Of course, you could also check out the movie.