Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Faber talks about what he did when authoritarianism began to take hold. We later see other characters, like Granger’s group, resisting the government. What characters have been complicit in the government’s abuse of power? What characters have had an active role? On a broader scale, why do you think it’s important to stand up for what you believe?

• What is Fahrenheit 451 saying about individuals standing up to authoritarian pressures? (topic sentence)
• In the body of your essay, explain what characters in Fahrenheit 451 do/have done to support or be complicit in censorship. Also explain what characters do to stand up against tyranny and censorship.
• In your conclusion/final paragraph, explain why it is important to stand up for what you believe.