Discussion Question: Does Beatty sound familiar?

The following text is excerpted from the Big Read's Reader's Guide on Fahrenheit 451, reprinted courtesy of the National Endowment for the Arts.

How does the destruction of books lead to more happiness and equality, according to Beatty? Does his lecture to Montag on the rights of man sound like any rhetoric employed today?



Click on the comment link below (you don't need an account of any kind to leave a comment, but please include your name) and share your thoughts on this aspect of the novel.


This question is excerpted from the Big Read's Reader's Guide on Fahrenheit 451, reprinted courtesy of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Events - November 8, 2007

Bill Stroup of Keene State College will lead a discussion of Fahrenheit 451 in the Library Trustees' Room of the Keene Public Library at 7pm

Pillsbury Free Library (Warner) will host "Civil Liberties Vs. Security in a post-9/11 America" beginning at 7pm
As the federal government continues to address new national security issues in the wake of September 11, 2001, the uneasy balance between security and civil liberties is receiving renewed attention. This lecture by Richard Hesse, Franklin Pierce Law Center, explores the important trade-offs and considerations facing citizens and non-citizens alike.

Profile - Tilton School

Tilton School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school serving students from 9th to 12th grade and post-graduates. The student body of 243 consists of 51 day students and 192 boarding students from 20 states and 16 countries.

The Lucian B. Hunt Library is located in Tilton Hall. The original name for the Town of Tilton (where the school is located) was Sanbornton Bridge. It was changed in 1869 to honor Major Charles E. Tilton , who had gone west 25 years earlier in the Gold Rush and returned a wealthy man. Major Tilton built his mansion (now Tilton Hall) and many of the buildings in town. He is responsible for numerous statues and parks as well as the famous arch, which still stands in Northfield, New Hampshire.

Tilton School chose Fahrenheit 451 as the 2007-2008 All School Book and has held a variety of Big Read events including lectures, discussions, and reading events for the Tilton School community. Tilton School has had an All School Book each year since 1999.

The Bible

I would save the Bible. It is a guide to living; full of wisdom. It explains where we came from and how it all will end. God offers us love, pleace and meaning to life. God is the one who satisfies with his love. He is the "master of the universe." It is a book that most families display proudly. It is very powerful and one of the most often read in prision. I would say it is the most read and quoted books of all time.
Chosen by Wendy Murphy, Somersworth, NH

If I could only save one book, that one book would be the Bible. The Bible is a timeless guide to meeting our creator, learning how to live a life that blesses others, and avoiding so many pitfalls of human existence. The Bible is entertaining, enlightening, revealing, and seems renewed each time I read it.
Chosen by Marty Flynn, Wolfeboro, NH
This response was contributed through NH Public Radio.

I would chose this book because it gives the answers to everything in life.
Chosen by Jessica Andersch, Concord, NH

The Bible: Moses, St. Paul, Solomon, etc...
I Want this book's history on the every day laws and ways of the people to stay alive forever. With out the bible the world would probally be miserable with out the tales of the world and the likings of religion. People wouldn't know who made this world or how this world was made.The Book tell us myths that are entertaining and makes me think.
Chosen by Tim Laliberte, student of Concord High, Laconia, NH

Most important book throughout the ages for all to have access to.
Chosen by Lisa Emery, Tilton, NH

Save The Bible please!
Chosen by J.P. Bergeron, Tilton, NH

The Holy Bible of the Catholic Church.
It is the true word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These words will grant us salvation.
Chosen by Cindy Harrington, Practice Manager, Nashua, NH

Events - November 7, 2007

At 6pm the Frost Free Library (Marlborough) will show the film version of this classic novel as part of their Big Read programming. The Frost Free Library will also be holding a drawing for a $25 gift certificate from Toadstool Bookshops from the titles selected by their patrons for the book they would save from the flames. Visit the Frost Free Library for more details.

The Plaistow Public Library's Adult Book Club will discuss Fahrenheit 451 beginning at 7:15pm