Fahrenheit 451 Pg.123-128

Isabel F.
10 words 4 learners

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words only definitions & notes
  1. sieve
    a strainer for separating lumps from powdered material
    He tried to piece it all together, to go back to the normal pattern of life a few short days ago before the sieve and the sand, Denham's Dentifrice, mouth voices, fireflies, the alarms and excursions, too much for a few short days, too much, indeed, for a lifetime.
    Page 123, Paragraph 2, Line 3

    In these section, Montag is describing how he wishes he could rewind back to a few
    days ago. Before the sieve and the sand and Denham's Dentifrice, which act as symbols
    in the story.
  2. excursion
    a journey taken for pleasure
    He tried to piece it all together, to go back to the normal pattern of life a few short days ago before the sieve and the sand, Denham's Dentifrice, mouth voices, fireflies, the alarms and excursions, too much for a few short days, too much, indeed, for a lifetime.
    Page 123, Paragraph, Line 4

    Montag is still talking about the same point as with the word "sieve." Excursions
    are a journey taken for pleasure, and what Montag is actually referring to is most
    likely the journeys he took to people's homes to burn the books.
  3. thoroughfare
    a public road from one place to another
    He ran steadily for six blocks in the alley and then the alley opened out onto a wide empty thoroughfare ten lanes wide.
    Page 124, Paragraph 3, Line 2

    Montag is fleeing from the police after he killed Beatty and his fellow firemen.
    The road that is being subscribed is alley that Montag is running thorough; and
    it eventually opened to a thoroughfare which is described as being ten lanes wide.
  4. boulevard
    a wide street or thoroughfare
    Now he must be clean and presentable if he wished to walk, not run, stroll calmly across that wide boulevard.
    Page 124, Paragraph 5, Line 6

    The police informed the citizens of the city that Montag is on the run and to
    keep their eyes peeled. Montag decides to stop at a gas station and tidy up so
    no one looks at him suspiciously. Montag is describing that he must look clean
    enough to actually decide to almost take a stroll across the boulevard instead
    of run.
  5. phosphorescent
    emitting light without appreciable heat
    He was a phosphorescent target; he knew it, he felt it.
    Page 126, Paragraph 1, Line 9

    Montag refers to himself as almost a "glowing" target for police. I inferred this
    is because he stands out in the illuminated snow. It seems like Montag feels nervous
    at the idea of beginning his walk.
  6. gauge
    an instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity
    Once you started walking you'd have to gauge how fast those beetles could make it down here.
    Page 126, Paragraph 3, Line 2

    Montag states that he has to "gauge" how long it will take for the beetle cars
    to reach his direct location. To gauge means to calculate or estimate. Montag is
    debating whether he should still stroll, speed up his pace, or just run.
  7. skimming
    the act of brushing against while passing
    The beetle came skimming.
    Page 127, Paragraph 4, Line 4

    Montag adds effect by adding short sentences describing the beetles destination.
    He states "The beetle was rushing. The beetle was roaring. The beetle raised
    speed," and so on. The he says, "The beetle was skimming." I imagined a car
    skimming really close to Montag.
  8. trajectory
    the path followed by an object moving through space
    Page 127, Paragraph 4, Lines 4-5

    This sentence explains the beetle whirling by Montag through a path by him.
    he describes the beetle as traveling faster than 100 miles per hour. Since
    the car is going so fast, Montag describes it as being shot out of a rifle.
  9. hurrah
    a victory cheer
    God knew, from twelve to sixteen, out whistling, yelling, hurrahing.
    Page 128, Paragraph 4, Line 4

    In this particular paragraph, Montag witnesses a carful of teens who are
    "whistling and hurrahing." They notice Montag and since it is a rarity
    to spot someone taking a stroll by themselves, they feel like it would
    be "adventurous" to run him over. They don't run Montag over though.
  10. shagged
    having a very rough nap or covered with hanging shags
    The pains were spikes driven in the kneecap and the only darning needles and the only common ordinary safety pins, and after he shagged along fifty more hops and jumps, filling his hand with silvers from the board fence, the prickling was like someone blowing a spray of scalding water on that leg.
    Page 123, Paragraph 3, Line 5

    Montag had just murdered Beatty, and the mechanical hound injected him
    with a drug in his leg. Montag is struggling to get up and run, and
    he describes himself having to "shag" hops and jumps because of his
    restriction to move his leg.
Created on Wed Apr 25 16:18:11 EDT 2012 (updated Wed Apr 25 22:02:16 EDT 2012)

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