The Art Of Revealing Information
Analysis of "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
📚 Fahrenheit 451 is a classic dystopian novel.
✍️ I studied it and found techniques you can apply to your own writing.
My analysis is broken into four posts:
Part 1: How to introduce characters by showing, not telling
Part 2: When you should introduce your inciting incident?
Part 3: The art of revealing information
Part 4: How Ray Bradbury makes you keep reading (Available 5/31)
Here is Part 3:
Fahrenheit 451 differs from other classical dystopian novels in how it reveals information about its fictional world.
Ray Bradbury avoids information dumping— there are no long pauses in the action to exclusively provide background information.
In 1984, the main character reads entire sections from a book that details the world of the story.
In Brave New World, long narrative passages are used by the author to give readers a background on the society.
In Fahrenheit 451, however, information is revealed as needed.
1984 and Brave New World are still classics for a reason, but I think Ray Bradbury’s approach really enhances the reader experience.
Here are some examples of how information is revealed in Fahrenheit 451:
The role of firemen in the society:
“Do you mind if I ask? How long’ve you worked at being a fireman?”
“Since I was twenty, ten years ago.”
“Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”
He laughed. “That’s against the law!”
“Oh. Of course.”
Houses being fireproof:
They walked still further and the girl said, “Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them?”
“No. Houses have always been fireproof, take my word for it.”
“Strange. I heard once that a long time ago houses used to burn by accident and they needed firemen to stop the flames.”
Information about the Mechanical Hounds:
One two three four five six seven days: the firehouse.
“Montag, you shin that pole like a bird up a tree.”
Third day.
“Montag, I see you came in the back door this time. The Hound bother you?”
“No, no.”
Fourth day.
“Montag, a funny thing. Heard tell this morning. Fireman in Seattle, purposely set a Mechanical Hound to his own chemical complex and let it loose. What kind of suicide would you call that?”
Five, six, seven days.
The law regarding books:
The woman knelt among the books, touching the drenched leather and cardboard, reading the gilt titles with her fingers while her eyes accused Montag.
“You can’t ever have my books,” she said.
“You know the law,” said Beatty. “Where’s your common sense? None of those books agree with each other. You’ve been locked up here for years with a regular damned Tower of Babel. Snap out of it! The people in those books never lived. Come on now!”
The greater threat of war:
The three women turned slowly and looked with unconcealed irritation and then dislike at Montag.
“When do you suppose the war will start?” he said. “I notice your husbands aren’t here tonight.”
“Oh, they come and go, come and go,” said Mrs. Phelps. “In again out again Finnegan, the Army called Pete yesterday. 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. Quick war. Pete was called yesterday and they said he’d be back next week. Quick. . . .”
The three women fidgeted and looked nervously at the empty mud-colored walls.
Continue reading my Fahrenheit 451 analysis:
Part 1: How to introduce characters by showing, not telling
Part 2: When you should introduce your inciting incident?
Part 3: The art of revealing information
Part 4: How Ray Bradbury makes you keep reading (Available 5/31)
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