Mrs. Moritz's 9th Honors English

Friday, October 13, 2006

School in the future...

Reread the description of Clarisse’s classes and classmates (29-30).

In your own words, describe Bradbury’s vision of teenagers and school in the future. Would you enjoy being a teenager at Clarisse’s school? Explain your answer. How has Bradbury’s vision come true?

posted by mmoritz at 10/13/2006 06:16:00 AM

28 Comments:

  • Bradbury describes the teenagers in the future as people who are heartless. They don't care about each other, or learning. They not only not care about each other but purposefully hurt each other often. School is not about learning or asking questions, but it is about starring at a screen and gathering information. I think that that future has come true in the fact that people don't care as much as they used to toward others or hobbies, or anything. Also, technology is becoming a larger part in schools.

    By Blogger Chelsea, at 6:27 AM  

  • Teens of the future in his eyes has lost all intelligence will of learning. They are just athletic and care nothing for others. The exceptional few who show intelligence and the will to learn are beat up and made fun of.

    By Blogger Damian L., at 9:45 AM  

  • I'm fascinated by what the three of you have said...particularly with the emphasis on sports and athletes. Do you think that athletics at our school takes precedence over other things?

    By Blogger mmoritz, at 10:19 AM  

  • Hey fellas! It's me again. Yay, new blog! on to business, then, I suppose.

    Clarisse's school description was very disturbing to me because our life is already on it's way there. Has anyone else noticed that a classroom without a computer seems empty? Oh dear, has anyone even SEEN a classroom without a computer? And the killings...pick up a paper, my friends. We are dieing. Why? How? :(

    Bradbury's descrition of this world makes me sad, too: is there no individuality here? none? can one wear green converse if they want? can they sing as they walk through the halls? can they eat lunch out on the grass and laugh and talk around a mouthful of peanut butter sandwich?

    In addition to the absence of individuality, there are not hobbies or athletics, as Mrs. Mortiz mentioned. Athletics at our school takes a HUGE precedence! I believe that you are what you do, that your actions define you. Therefore, what you like to do also defines you. this doesn't mean i think one should put people in "boxes" or try to define them, i just think that what you do tells who you are. Like in Grey's Anatomy last night, the type of surgeon a person is can tell a lot about the person. Me, I'm in the play. Acting is my verb, it's what i do, like those commercials. It's not the only thing i do, of course, but it shows a huge part of who i am: i like talking and lsitening and moving and singing and makeup and costumes and close-knit friends, different new weird things, inside jokes, paint, drills, sawdust, creativity, nonjudgemental attitudes, stagelights...it's a drama thing.

    There's volleyball things and football things and anything-you-like-to-do-things...so here's a question for the bloggers after me: what's your "thing" and hwo does it define you? How does what you love make up who you are?

    Well, I think that's all for me, mah dears! take care of yourselves this weekend...i'll miss you all! ~me

    By Blogger CMeghan, at 2:18 PM  

  • Like cvanessen2 said, teenagers do seem very heartless and hurtful towards each other. I found horrible was that all the kids killed each other, how sad and scary! The school system seems even worse too. Could you imagine going to school and watching a screen all day? That would be horrible and it seems that the stuff that they are being taught is pretty useless as well. Also, it just seemed like in the future, intelligence is no longer a thing that you want to have, but a curse. No one wants to be smart; if you are, you are looked down upon and harassed.

    Kchurchill, I can totally see a connection with the kids from Lord of the Flies and the kids from Fahrenheit 451. Both books have the innocent charactors that in the end get killed, like Clarisse and Simon.

    Has it actually been proven that Clarisse is dead or is it just an assumption, because I have a hard time beliving that she would be killed off so soon in the book. Also, is the 'family' that Mildred keeps talking about, the people on the tv screens? Lastly, do you think that Mildred can be trusted to keep Guys secret safe from his boss and other fellow firemen?

    By Blogger haleycc, at 3:23 PM  

  • I beleive that this book is coming true today. Students dieing from car wrecks happens a lot nowadays, and shootings are more and more common. The shooting and car wrecks aren't today, aren't as bad as the ones described in the book, but they do compare. Also, people are now buying T.V.s that are as big as some walls. People are always plagged into their headphones like Mildred. People spend little time actually talking person to person, but not to the extent in the book. Basically, Ray Bradbury was like a prophet. His predictions become more and more true each day.

    As for being a student at Clarisse's school, I would hate it. I already don't enjoy listening to most teachers very much, so watching a screen all day would be torture. How would the kids in the book not fall asleep while watching the screen. Even though most don't know me as a big talker, I would hate having so little social interaction in school. The kind of social interaction outside of school would be bad also. So, I beleive that my veiw of school in the book almost mirrors Clarisse's.

    By Blogger kyle, at 4:02 PM  

  • In response to ms moritz comment, I think that sports are a major part of our highschool. I remember on the first day of highschool when Mr Booth was talking to us he made a huge emphasis on getting involved in anything especially sports. Also, during the softball season softball would always come first even though it wasnt supposed to.

    To respond to megan my "thing" is softball. It kind of took over my life for a couple months. I think it really changed my tolerance for things and I think it made me a more patient person.

    By Blogger Natalie Jones, at 4:04 PM  

  • Responding to Ms. Moritz's question, I think sports definetley take precedence over other things at our school. Lots of students focus on sports more than school. Also, many students love to go to the football games on friday night. I think thats just how todays society is. We focus a lot on sports becuase its gives us something other to think about rather than reality. Thats why its called "America's Past-time"!

    By Blogger SarahE2010, at 4:16 PM  

  • Hey all!

    I agree with all that was said and I am going to try to avoid repeating anything.

    I agree with what kchurchill said about technology and how it affects our social life. Bradbury was making a prediction of the future when he described the teenagers as only caring about the TV (symbolizing technology) and athletics (symbolizing loss of sociality/individualism).

    I mean, back when there was such a thing as people walking on dirt roads to school, family and friends were really valued. People spent time telling stories, playing music, laughing. Life was harder than it is today and yet people were so much happier!

    Can anybody justify the reason for having friends nowadays except for entertainment? Do you really want to be able to respect the person or do you just want a distraction for awhile? If so, what do you want to be distracted from exactly? There are so many possiblities: divorce, work, going all the way with your boyfriend or girlfriend, pregnancy, abortion, abuse, drugs, alchohol... the list goes on and on. Perhaps this is why the technology market and the entertainment market are such a big business. Because people WANT to be taken away from the troubles of the world... the need to be taken away. And they think that is their only escape.

    I sometimes wonder if we have lost all sense of individualism. Are we just so caught up in ourselves that we can't see where we're headed? We are the future, we are the past, but we are also the link between the two. Where are we going?

    By Blogger RachelP, at 11:11 AM  

  • To sweet Alyse: I agree! Clarisse HAS to be alive, if only in memory. Under those terms, mateys, does anyone ever REALLY die? Is death only frightening because we are afraid to be forgotten?

    To mah buddy rachel: You bring up several extremely valid points, but all make me sad. First of all, I do believe that a lot of people take their friends for granted, as a "distraction" as you so well put it. But the true friends...the real ones...who you call up when your dog dies, who you share your sodas with, who helps you drill boards into walls for the stage set, who can smile with you at an occasional goregeous senior...one has to respect them. I believe that in order to respect someone, you must first understand who they are. Once you understand, then comes respect. Me personally, I couldn't live without my friends. People can't just exist in this empty cold world without a friend or two...it is in our blood, we are pack creatures, born to speak and live and have kids and laugh and cry and die. We NEED someone to understand, and thereby repect us. HUGE shoutout to everyone on this blog who is my pal!!!!! You know who u are, hahahaha ;) On to your next point, bonita: i'm not sure where we're going, who we are, or why we're here. but i do have complete faith that if we just do the best we can, if we just make one person smile or help one person out, that our lives are NOT in vain. This si the clearest i can express without bringing religion into the deal. I think we have to bleieve we're going somewhere, because if we don't we might not wish to live anymore. Me, I like to think it's not so much where you're headed, but where you ARE. :) and hope helps too. luv yah, sweet.

    well, now that i've gone WAY philosphical, it's time for dinner!

    xo, be safe! ~me

    By Blogger CMeghan, at 5:58 PM  

  • To the lovely Meghan: You make me smile. Believe me, it was not my intent to make you sad. I just figured that since the book is just a teeny bit depressing, Bradbury might be making an analogy to depressing situations, which could then be related to our world... Yah, you get the picture. It's all in the connection. I'm not really a depressed psycho, I swear! ;) lol.

    You are entirely correct when you say that there is such a thing as a true friend. Without them, the world would cease to exist as we know it. Humans really do thrive on the support and love of others. I wonder if that could be what Bradbury was getting at: without companionship, people can't survive. I bet you anything Clarisse not only symbolizes hope, but she also symbolizes friendship.

    I'm going to draw a connection here... or at least try to. I went and saw the movie INVINCIBLE last night. Now, besides being the best sports movie I've seen since GLORY ROAD, this was also an incredibly inspirational story. For those of you who don't know, the movie is based on the true story of Vince Papale. He was an avid Philidelphia Eagles fan, thirty-year-old bartender and substitute teacher who made it from the stands to the field. He remade the team and help them break their 11 season losing streak. You know who was there every step of the way? His friends. One in paticular, Tommy, was the person who encouraged him in the beginning to try out. He lit the spark and then let it flare. He inspired Papale, and then Papale turned around and inspired not only his friends, but an entire city.

    Is this a true show of the human spirit? I should say so. Can you relate Tommy and Vince Papale to Clarisee and Montag? I should think so. Inspiration flares determination which lights change.

    I hope that was a little more encouraging than my last post. ;)

    Peace,
    Rachel

    By Blogger RachelP, at 10:34 AM  

  • WOW! I totally agree with Kristen. I would hate to be in that kind of school environment. FILM teachers, allowing you to ask little or no questions at all, and a lot of serious no-fun sports would make me go crazy! I agree with Clarisse when she says, "That's not social to me at all." It's no wonder the kids in the book are going nuts by the end of the day; also, like Kristen said, I cannot imagine having to stare at a screen for 7hrs straight. I can hardly stand an hour!

    On another note, I found Clarisse's descriptions of people's conversations rather interesting. She says they don't talk about anything, that no one has anything exciting or original to say. So that explains the teenagers' behavior: it's because of the messed up school system. If all of the kids are learning the EXACT same thing and are forced to learn and believe ideas others came up with before them, how are they supposed to learn to think for themselves? Just an interesting thought...

    YES! I also really agree with Meghan and Alyse (and everyone else who mentioned Clarisse's death)! I was really wondering about that too! Why why WHY would the author have Clarisse die so early? It became obvious to me she was Montag's inspiration/ source of enlightenment, so why would she go so soon?

    By Blogger AlisonB, at 11:26 AM  

  • *praise to cmeghan*

    I think the teenagers in the future resort to violence as a result of poor social skills. When you are doing something even slightly out of the ordinary and the people about you are sniggering their faces off(don't worry, I get this at least twice a day, but it usually more), it makes you feel stupid and some of us resort to violence as a way of quelling that fear.

    Me, inresponse to cmeghan's question, I don't give a krap what those people think. My verb is being unique. I draw, I act when I can, I support animals rights, I play piano. I like the smell of sawdust and animals and oranges. I like to use the electric screwdriver durning props (eventhough I'm not very good at it...) and I like houng out in the prop loft.

    But you can't do all these things in Bradbury's schools. I doubt they have a theater. I know many peeps have already mentioned this, but the violence and bullying may be a form of energy realese and stress reliever. Clarisse seems to be the only one who releases her energy be walking and thinking in large amounts. Without thoughts, we turn kind of savage, like Jack.

    By Blogger Rachel L, at 12:31 PM  

  • To respond to what Kristen said, I'd say that school can be very boring if it's not hands on. I have a couple of classes where the teachers just sit and talk and tell us stuff, and say "that will be important on the test", but we don't understand how it relates to anything we talked about!

    And to answer Meghan's question of "what is your thing", I would say mine is swimming. It's something I do everyday after school, (and sometimes before) and that it is my thing because I love it. Just being at swim team makes my boring school day better. And to go with what Kaley said, I know many people that put sports before school (you could say I do that sometimes) but I couldn't have said the reasons better by myself: "They believe in themselves more when it comes to sports than school." I think that's because they compare themselves to the smarter kids or unathletic kids and have to find something better about themselves, and when they can throw a football farther than anyone else in the school, that is what they will strive for, and drop the other things they won't be well known for.

    Which relates to the book in how everyone is just another person, who clogs up the Earth and wants newer technology. Clarisse is one of the few people in this futuristic world that actually takes time to notice the natural things that come to you in life, rather than just trying to make things happen or always wanting something different!

    --kylie

    By Blogger KylieYoum, at 1:08 PM  

  • In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury describes teenagers as students who simply listen to the screen and have information drilled into their brains without thinking for themselves. The school and government wear them out, so that after school they're too tired to do anything but go home and go to bed or go and bully people for fun.
    I think that teenagers today are much more social and think for themselves more than Bradbury credits future teens. However, school tires us out. Some people focus entirely on school and get burned out, but it seems like others don't care that much about school and focus their attention on sports and hobbies instead. It's like teens today can't have a nice balance between school and fun. A lot of people go to school, but don't care about grades or homework because they would rather focus on their busy sports schedules with 3 or 4 practices a week, plus games. This seems ridiculous, but I see why people think this way. School can be so stressful that we need an outlet to have fun and express ourselves. I guess sometimes the fun overtakes the realistic necessity to learn. After all, would you rather spend all your time on something you don't particularly love, or doing something that you like? In a sense, Bradbury's depiction of teens are just like us, but so far we haven't reached that "completely accepting of everything someone tells us" part.

    By Blogger Rachel K, at 1:31 PM  

  • Bradbury describes teenagers as wreckless and wild. He makes it seem like we don't know anything and that all teenagers do is get in to trouble and do stupid things. Bradbury is right in what he writes but it isn't as severe as he makes it out to be. There are stupid things that teenagers do like street racing and people are bullied but the majority of teens don't do those things.
    In Clarisse's school all they do is sports and film. They don't learn math or science or talk about politics and being apart of that may be fun for one day but it would not be fun or benificial for more than that. If I was in her situation I would dread going to school and wouldn't go too. You don't have the opportunity to think or learn so there would be no reason to go.

    By Blogger Liz, at 3:08 PM  

  • I would definitely HATE being a teenager in F451. I am really a wimp, so I don't think I would enjoy the killing part so much.
    Here at Arapahoe, we do focus a lot on sports, but I still don't think that this compares to the sports mindedness that the students in F451 posses. That is all they do, pretty much, where we(well not me, but pretty much the rest of the student population) do devote a good portion of our time to sports, but during the day we have regular classes.
    I agree with everyone who has said that Bradbury's vision has started to come true because here we are, all blogging on the internet. Also, about teenagers, we are not quite to the point of killing each other daily or weekly or however often, but SOME, not all, teenagers today are like F451's in the way that they don't seem to regard anyone else. crossing Dry Creek in front of random cars, and there are ganstas, too who do some bizzare stuff.

    By Blogger Tina L, at 5:09 PM  

  • I agree and disagree with chelly. So far every administrator that I have met says that academics come first, even coaches. But then when it gets right down to it, you will soon find out that that is not true. Try going up to your coach and telling them that you have 3 tests, a project and atleast 4 hours of homework due the next day. Even if you are down on the floor on your hands and knees begging they probably will not let you miss practice, or if they do (consider yourself lucky) you will probably have to make it up later.

    By Blogger Natalie Jones, at 5:12 PM  

  • I just read every single blog. Everyone has such great things to say. All the posts are different, yet many of the same themes are coming up over and over.
    I think for the most part it's agreed that we would all hate to go to Clarisse's school. Personally, I would be absolutely terrified. I wouldn't particularly want 6 of my friends be shot, I don't know about the rest of you. The entire purpose of school is to help prepare for life. I think one of the reasons her school has lost sight of that is the value of life in the future. Machines are performing tasks we are currently doing manually. That world is so populated, the value of one's life is probably decreased. What's one more wayward teen? The school system seems to have just stopped caring, or even attempting to make a difference.
    I think Clarisse is one of the last standing keys to the past that their world possesses. She's reacting to her surroundings as one of us probably would. She's a modern girl stuck in a future world.
    The reality is that we're not that far off from this "world." Teenagers, heck, the general population, is growing more and more violent. Morality is slipping away from us faster than we can ultimately imagine. We don't know how many years exactly 451 is ahead of us. But the similaries are getting closer and closer to us.

    After all, our modern world was the future at one point.

    By Blogger Martha P., at 5:14 PM  

  • Teenagers in Bradbury's futuristic school are force-fed information and accept it unquestioningly and wordlessly. They're (to use Clarisse's words) "run ragged" by this method of learning and have little to do at the end of the day except torment each other or destroy things. I see very few similarities between Bradbury's version of future schools and our actual schools. Perhaps there are historical inaccuracies and biases in our textbooks, but we're not to the point where the government has to shove their version of the truth down our throats. And we aren't (or I like to think we aren't) quite as violent.

    By Blogger laura h., at 7:26 PM  

  • I think that this futuristic school/society has made all of the kids grow up extermley fast. They are still teenagers and they already have to worry about being shot, dying in car crashes, etc. I think that this is one of the reasons that books have become banned, since there is no youth to read and enjoy them. It makes you wonder just how much like this future our society really is.

    By Blogger matt f., at 7:31 PM  

  • I kind of agree with what Chelsea said about the teens being heartless. I mean the way thay Badbery percieved them they were children with no heart who had the guts to go out and harm people. All they do alll day is stare at a television set and learn all they need to know. My only question is did they have a choice? I mean that's all they know is sit around all day and then of course they want to go do sometrhing fun. I know if I had to stare at a screen all day long I would tear my hair out!! Don't get me wrong I like t.v. just not that much. I honeslty don't think that Bradbury's vision about teenagers has become true because only a very minut amount of will build our lives around t.v. and wanting to bring harm to other people.

    By Blogger kaytlinr, at 8:37 PM  

  • I think everyone has summed it up pretty well that, the high school students portrayed by Bradbury, are destructive. Things revolve around physical ability not mental ability. The teens are destructive, cruel, killing machines, as he makes them to be. I agree with sander and others that its scary how they make academics to be the most important thing, although althletics are important now I think we are a ways away from this society.

    By Blogger Tony J., at 8:41 PM  

  • I have to agree with cvanessen2 on what Brabury's vision of teenagers. They seem to not care about school but only on being cruel to one another on a daily basis. I also agree with martha on what it would like being a teenager in Bradbury's book. I couldn't go to school knowing that afterward I could be killed. I would be terrified 24/7 and I might have to drop out of school because I would never be able to discuss the issue that we were learning about in school or to express my opinion.

    By Blogger kayla f, at 5:34 AM  

  • In the future, kids are expected to fit into society with the age old rule, “Children should be seen, but not heard.” They do not appear to be allowed to talk to one another, and if they do, their conversations are usually topical. Clarisse’s conversations tend to be about things other than the way life is now, they tend to be more like the way things were in the past or what she might have noticed on her way to school. The kids seem to be robots who only do and think what the government and society want them to think. They do not challenge the system. I think it would be hard for me, personally, to go to this school because I am not used to doing and thinking only what my superiors think is fit. I would be more likely to challenge the system out of pure boredom.

    By Blogger Emma Grace, at 5:42 AM  

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    By Blogger Laine G, at 4:07 PM  

  • I'd hate to be a student in classes like that, but at times I feel like I am. Now day teachers are using more and more technology in their classes and assignments. Techers now require blogs and computer activities that only draw us away from what is Real. Often in classes kids ask no questins and techers drone of for an hour of math, then an hour of sports, then the teachers keep droning on for another hour of History. In some classes any group activities, group work, or talking at all is stricktly forbiden.

    By Blogger Laine G, at 4:08 PM  

  • Bradbury describes future teens as Ruthless people who have no particular attachment to anyone but themselves. All they care about is there own needs and sports. They are mindless drones with no sense of right or wrong, and don't want one.

    By Blogger Barry Tischler, at 9:01 AM  

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