Help with Fahrenheit 451 questions?

Question

Keep the theme of "Freedom and Responsibility"

Recall:

Antigone's statement of "having criminally done holy things."

The Declaration of Independence- "That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government..."

Martin Luther King Jr. in Letter From Birmingham Jail- "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws."

Questions:

A.) How do Guy Montag's actions fit into themes presented by these quotes? Were his actions justified? Why or why not?

B.) Is it ever ok to break the law?

Answer 1

I’m afraid I’m not going to answer the first question. For that, you will have to read what Guy has done and draw those conclusions yourself. I know you can do it.

As for the second question, the answer is yes, it is OK sometimes to break the law. “Civil disobedience” is the act of breaking a law that one believes is immoral or unjust, as a means of protesting the law and drawing attention to its flaws. It has been used by many great and unknown people throughout human history as a means of making a powerful statement of protest.

Examples include the act that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. committed that landed him in the Birmingham jail where he composed the letter you quoted. Destroying draft files was against the law during the Vietnam War, yet many people who believed that war was unjust chose to do that as an act of protest knowing full well that what they were doing was illegal.

The important thing is that acts of civil disobedience are taken very seriously, both by those who commit them and by the governments that have declared them to be illegal. A person who commits an act of civil disobedience understands and, more importantly ACCEPTS that s/he will be arrested and probably tried and jailed for committing the act, but does not protest the punishment. Rather, s/he uses the arrest and trial as a way of making the point about the immorality or injustice of the situation.

You owe it to yourself to read this book and ponder these questions without someone else doing it for you. Dontknow is right (above)...you have an obligation to do this reading, which is why I chose not to respond to your first question. It's an excellent book with many great themes that are as important today as they were when it was published in 1953.

Answer 2

One mentor dominates each and each and every of the three parts of Fahrenheit 451. the first is Clarisse. She opens Montag’s options to the prospect of an option way of existence. She questions what he thinks he's familiar with or what he hasn’t been prepared to guage. Is he chuffed? Does he love his spouse? Clarisse opens the door… From Shmoop Lit/Characters/Fahrenheit 451

Answer 3

Read the book. I promise you, it is a very heavy subject.

But think of the laws presented in this book.

And think of what is being lost by obedience to the laws.

And- think of what is being saved by the converse.

Answer 4

This is your homework assignment and I think it's wrong of you to ask other people to do it for you. Even if you think the book is stupid or you don't understand it, it's still your responsibility to do the work.