Fahrenheit 451, Part Two: Power Beyond Censorship
Course: IH I
Reading: Fahrenheit 451, Part Two (“The Sieve and the Sand”)
Due: Before class on Monday, January 26 (or by Canvas deadline if class is canceled)
Points: 30 Reading Assessment Points
Submission: Canvas assignment link
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Purpose
This worksheet extends the Part One analysis of narrative power and belief and begins to test
the limits of Bradbury’s critique. Part Two complicates the idea that awareness or access to
books is enough to undo power—an issue we will pursue further when we discuss the novel’s
ending and alternative theories of power.
Question 1: Conceptual Shift from Part One
(5 points)
In Part One, Bradbury critiques power primarily through his representation of censorship,
distraction, and social conformity.
Identify one way Part Two complicates or strains this critique.
What problem does Part Two introduce that Part One did not fully address?
Question 2: Beatty as Ideologue, Not Just Enforcer
(5 points)
Captain Beatty does more than enforce rules—he explains why the system exists.
Identify one of Beatty’s central arguments about books or knowledge.
Explain how this argument functions as a theory of power, not just an excuse.
Question 3: The Limits of Knowledge as Resistance
(5 points)
Montag’s crisis in Part Two suggests that knowledge alone may be insufficient.
Identify one moment where knowledge overwhelms, paralyzes, or fails Montag.
What does this suggest about the relationship between understanding and power?
Question 4: Preparing for the Ending (Synthesis)
(5 points)
Complete one of the following statements:
Part Two reveals a limit in Bradbury’s model of resistance because
____________________.
OR
Part Two raises the question of whether power can survive even when
____________________.
Be prepared to revisit this claim when we discuss the ending.
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