Fahrenheit 451

My thoughts in general: I have begun dramatically reading Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 for some friends. This dramatic reading follows my reading of Twilight, which is probably one of the worst books ever written. Thus, it is quite a relief to be reading something that is actually quality literature and is worth reading. While reading, I supply different voices for all the characters and otherwise "dramatically" read the text. I guess this adds an interesting element to my experience with the media (as well as the experience of others). The book is fascinating--not only in story/subject matter but also in the literariness of the writing. This is my first time reading Fahrenheit 451, so my dramatic read is based largely on my initial reaction to the text. I find that reading aloud in this way provides me with an unique experience with the language that is used and the manner in which it is used. The written text creates strong, visual mental images through the use of descriptive language that is more than simple utility. The rhythm of the text is especially apparent as I read it to others. I am enjoying reading this book because it is actually engaging me as I read and as it demonstrates the effective use of language to convey atmosphere in addition to story.


My thoughts on application: I think that this text could be applied to teaching in several ways. First, it could be studied as literature. Though I never read it in school, I imagine that it is already used often in English/literature classes. However, I think that reading it aloud has added for me a different understanding than just reading it silently. I remember that in my English/lit classes, the assignment usually was just to read books silently to myself. Occasionally, we would read aloud in class, but that was just to get through the book. I think it might be an interesting teaching method to have students prepare to read certain portions of the book with the intent to emphasize how the text uses writing techniques like imagery, metaphor, etc. It could also be an interesting study in literature-to-film adaptation. It could be interesting and informative to compare Francois Truffaut's 1966 film adaptation to the book itself. It might be helpful to discuss whether or not the literary elements like rhythm and visual description of the written text were translated into film language and if so, how. Apparently, Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) is working on his own film adaptation of the book. Could be interesting....