Notable Quotables

"We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while."

Clarisse

she is challenging society's obsession with comfort and distraction

she is presenting ideas of curiosity, individuality, and importance of discomfort for growth

"A book is a loaded gun in the house next door."

Beatty

compares books to weapons, demonstrating fear of independent thought

shows why books are banned- they empower people

"Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."

Old Lady

the guys in the quote died for their cause, so did the Old Lady

she is a martyr

"Whole family moved out somewhere. But she's gone for good. I think she's dead."

Mildred

finally telling Montag that Clarisse has died

"And so when the houses were finally fireproofed completely, all over the world there was no longer need of firemen for the old purposes. They were given the new job, as custodians of our peace of mind"

Beatty

says during his big speech

describing how the new version of firemen came to be and how they are getting rid of the things that bring a "scattered" mind

"There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house."

Montag

sparks Montag's transformation, begins questioning why books are so powerful that someone would die for them

"I feel alive for the first time in years. I feel I'm doing what I should've done a lifetime ago."

Faber

represents his awakening, he is glad he is finally taking action and not scared anymore

"Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change. Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy.

Beatty

more of big speech

brings up idea of stuffing ppl with mass so they don't have anything with meaning

"If you love me at all you'll put up with this"

Montag

he is asking Mildred to put up with his book collection

suggests that Mildred will not "put up with it"

"I always like to drive fast when I feel that way. You get it up around ninety-five and you feel wonderful. Sometimes I drive all night and come back and you don't know it. It's fun out in the country. You hit rabbits, sometimes you hit dogs. Go take the beetle."

Mildred

shows how messed up the society is- this is how they deal with stress???

"I don't talk things, sir. I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive."

Faber

emphasizes depth over shallowness

represents individuality and curiosity

"Everyone must leave something behind when he dies"

Granger

brings up idea of leaving something behind to contribute to the world in some way and have some meaning to your life

"No, no, it's not the books at all you're looking for! Take it where you can find it, in old phonograph records, old motion pictures, and in old friends; look for it in nature and look for it in yourself."

Faber

encourages self-discovery, expands concept of knowledge

introduces the idea of nature that we can find throughout the book

"Ten million men mobilized. But say one million. It's happier."

Faber

exposes manipulation of facts/propaganda to keep the public happy

"He'll be back next week. The Army said so. Quick war. Forty-eight hours they said, and everyone home. That's what the Army said."

Mrs. Phelps

demonstrates how the people of the society don't really care about things- like its war cmon

"Poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now..."

Mildred

her mind is completely rotted by censorship- like its HER FAMILY bro

"The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones r*pe her and leave her for the flies."

Faber

demonstrates the values of meaningful literature and dangers of shallow writing

"They know they can hold their audience only so long. The show's got to have a snap ending, quick!...So they're searching for a scapegoat to end things with a bang. Watch. They'll catch Montag in the next five minutes!"

Granger

highlights the conformity and manipulation the society is under

shows society's superficiality

"You can't build a house without nails and wood. If you don't want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none."

Beatty

more of his big speech

nails and wood symbolize building blocks of independent thought

reveals how censorship works, projects it as prevention instead of destruction

"The most important single thing we had to pound into ourselves is that we were not important, we mustn't be pedants; we were not to feel superior to anyone else in the world."

Granger

emphasizes the idea that humans must believe that they are a part of something bigger and get rid of selfishness that currently controls society

BALANCED WISDOM

humility ensures that learning serves humanity not ego

"I like to smell things and look at things, and sometimes stay up all night, walking, and watch the sun rise."

Clarisse

shows her oddity from the other kids but how she is searching for something in life

"There was a silly damn bird called a Phoenix back back before Christ, every few hundred years he built a pyre and burned himself up...But every time he burnt himself he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again. And it looks like we're doing the same thing."

Granger

provides idea of rebirth for the society

provides hope

"Hell! We get these cases nine or ten a night. Got so many, starting a few years ago, we had special machines built...all you need is two handymen, clean up the problem in half an hour."

One of the handymen working the machine that pumped Mildred

demonstrates how damaged the society is- suicides are common and not a big deal

"You want a friend. Okay, I'll be your friend. But only till next Tuesday. That's when we move away."

Cathy Queen of Cats

shows the temporary friendship that is very fragile

shows the Cathy's shallowness

"If you give me five dollars I will be your friend forever."

Rachel

shows how much they value money

shows how they don't value true things like friendship as much

"What matters is for the boys to see us and for us to see them."

Marin

this is what Marin values, but we later learn that this is not the way to go about things if you want to escape Mango

"You all see that cloud, that fat one there? See that? That one next to the one that look like popcorn. That one there. See that. That's God."

Darius

he makes it simple by using his imagination to create something that the kids can actually see so that they can believe in it

"Engine, engine number nine, running down Chicago line. If the train runs off the track do you want your money back? Do you want your MONEY back? Yes, no, maybe so. Yes, no, maybe so..."

Nenny

shows how she is still innocent and childish

engine number nine further develops the idea of reaching towards ten/fulfillment

"That's nice. That's very good. You just remember to keep writing, Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free"

Aunt Lupe

introduces the idea of writing to set her free

"This card, the one with the dark man on a dark horse, this means jealousy, and this one, sorrow. Here a pillar of bees and this a mattress of luxury. You will go to a wedding soon and did you lose your anchor of arms, yes an anchor of arms?"

Elanita- the card reader

reflects on how she just lost her father/protector but gains something more beautiful- becomes her father's anchor

"Everything is waiting to explode like Christmas. I want to be all new and shiny. I want to sit out bad at night, a boy around my neck and the wind under my skirt."

Esperanza

she wants love but is visualizing it in the wrong way

"Kids, if I give you a dollar will you go to the store and buy me something?"

Rafaela

she is trapped, asking the kids to buy her treats- shows longing for a better life

papaya juice symbol

"In the movies there is always one with red red lips who is beautiful and cruel...Her power is her own. She will not give it away. I have begun my own quiet war...I am one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate."

Esperanza

demonstrates her longing for power and how she wants to be beautiful and cruel- independent women

"I could've been somebody, you know? Esperanza, you go to school. Study hard....Shame is a bad thing, you know? It keeps you down. You want to know why I quit school? Because I didn't have nice clothes. No clothes, but I had brains...I was a smart cookie then."

Mother

she is encouraging Esperanza to work for a future different from hers

she once had the potential to thrive but threw it away because she was ashamed of herself

"He never hits me hard...He thinks I'm going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed. Just because I'm a daughter"

Sally

her father thinks she will run off with some boy and leave her family so he abuses her

this only makes her want to escape more so now she is actively searching for a way out

"One of Tito's friends said you can't get the keys back unless you kiss up and Sally pretended to be mad at first but she said yes. It was that simple. I don't know why, but something inside me wanted to throw a stick. Something wanted to say no when I watched Sally going into the garden with Tito's buddies all grinning."

Esperanza

demonstrates how she doesn't understand this new game, she is still innocent and doesn't understand this new mature concept

"Esperanza...When you leave you must remember to come back for the others. A circle, understand? You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can't erase what you know. You can't forget who you are."

the Three Sisters

directly conveying the theme that she must come back and help the others and that Mango will always be a part of her

"I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much. I write it down and Mango says goodbye sometimes...One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever."

Esperanza

revealing how her writing will set her free from Mango

"The life of an animal is misery and slavery."

Old Major

demonstrates the early ways of how humans control animals

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

the pigs, written by Napoleon

phrased so it doesn't make sense so they will believe it

two classes that have equality within but not with the other class

"Napoleon is always right."

Boxer

he has the strong loyalty of the working class but this could be wrong

"Four legs good, two legs bad."

the sheep

the slogan used to suppress independent thought

"No animal shall kill any other animal without cause."

the pigs

they altered the commandment to fit what they want to do

"I will work harder."

Boxer

his personal motto, is something that makes the other animals look up to him

his proletariat dedication is abused by the leaders