Perhaps this question has been addressed before, but I promised I would ask:

I teach remedial/SPED/ELL English II in Las Vegas. One of the pieces of literature required for this class is Fahrenheit 451. One of my students, A., who is both SPED and ELL asked me the simple question - if the houses (in F451) are all fireproofed, how can Montag light them on fire? Would they burn to the ground, or would the shells simply smolder?

I would appreciate any answer, and it would validate my kids' opinions.

Thank you in advance,

Doesn't he just burn the BOOKS?

Welcome to the board, Kristin!

In the movie the books are all removed from the houses and stacked on a metal frame in the driveway and then doused with a flammable liquid and ignited. Only when the woman (her name escapes me at the moment) refuses to leave her home (which is stocked with books, the attic full, etc.) is there any indication that a fire was started inside a house.

Now as to whether the whole house burned down or not, the movie does not indicate what happened.

Perhaps I will call Ray and ask him and post his answer later.

Thanks for the replies.

The big reason we aren't sure whether the house burns is because Montag screams at Mildred (paraphrase), Do you want to rake the ashes for that woman's bones?

It doesn't really matter, but I would like to be able to give A. an answer. He is completely excited by the book and is understanding, for the first time, how literature can influence life and may serve as an object lesson.

Thanks again.

Perhaps because the woman's house was full of books...and because they sprayed the gasoline INSIDE the house...the house with the nice old lady would burn. (?)

Go with what the BOOK says, too. Not the film.

Without rereading the book, my inclination is that the house was lined with books, and the books themselves could make a large conflagration producing a pile of ashes even if the place didn't burn. It will be interesting to hear Ray's take on it.

I, too, should read it again; but wasn't Clarisse's uncle's house one of the few 'old-fashioned' ones that wasn't fireproof?

I think you are right, BII.