Bradbury Letter

[DarthNeil]

Thought you folks here might enjoy this.
I'm currently teaching Fahrenheit 451 to a class and when we get to the climactic death of a certain fire chief (if you haven't read the prophetic work then shame on you-- get it NOW) I always like to mess with students by telling them what to think and invariably they all scribble down what they should think without questioning (if you're a teacher and like specifics PM and I'd be happy to share the lesson plan in all of its evil goodness)... Anyway the whole point of teaching the novel is for students to realize that they need to think for themselves and there were a couple of teachers who back in late '77 wrote to Bradbury to be clear on if a certain character truly did want to die. Ray Bradbury wrote back to them and shared his thoughts on the character's motivations, but what I thought some of you might enjoy is the letter he wrote to the teachers expressing his thoughts on the current (late 70's) sci-fi movies as a response to what the teachers wrote to him about. Here's the letter word for word:

I liked STAR WARS because it was grand cartoon-like fun, right out of my FLASH GORDON childhood. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS is something else again...truly magnificent, touching, eternal. I wept both times I saw it. Happy New Year to you all!

Anyway my students (as they do every year) got a kick out of it and I had some down time so I thought I'd share it here. Hope everyone's having a good day.

 

[Entropy]

Can you post the Bradbury letter about F451?

 

[galactiboy]

That italicized part was the letter...

 

[Entropy]

That italicized part was the letter...

Unless I'm mistaken that was the letter "expressing his thoughts on the current (late 70's) sci-fi movies" not the one about the motivations of the fireman.

 

[Rugby1970]

I actually wrote him a letter asking him to act in one of my student films way back in film school.

He actually called me back personally. He wasn't able to appear in the film but we had a great conversation. One of the most inspiring things ever in my life.

I also heard him speak a few years later. He told me a great story you guys might appreciate. He used to cut out and collect Flash Gordon comic strips from the newspaper. He did it for years and as he got older his friends used to make fun of him. Embarrased, he threw them all away, feeling like he needed to grow up.

He later cried when he realized what he had done. He felt like he threw away a part of himself and he did it to make other people happy.

Anyway, as a collector who has never outgrown the hobby, I really connected with what he said.

He really is an inspiration. I highly recommend reading any of his books and if you are a creative person, his book on writing is really second to none. Just typing this makes me want to read it again.

 

[galactiboy]

Unless I'm mistaken that was the letter "expressing his thoughts on the current (late 70's) sci-fi movies" not the one about the motivations of the fireman.

Yes, that was his response to them asking about his character... just responding to them, but not answering a question they needed to answer for themselves.

 

[Entropy]

Yes, that was his response to them asking about his character... just responding to them, but not answering a question they needed to answer for themselves.

Ah ok. This made me think that there was another letter DarthNeil didn't post: "Ray Bradbury wrote back to them and shared his thoughts on the character's motivations, but what I thought some of you might enjoy is the letter he wrote to the teachers expressing his thoughts on the current (late 70's) sci-fi movies"

 

[DarthNeil]

I've got the other letter which is much longer. It was addressed to the specific students in that 1977 English class and I'll be happy to post it tomorrow. For those familiar with the book it's Bradbury response to the question [SPOILER for a book that's 50 years old] did Captain Beatty want to die?... It's a very good response. I'll post it tomorrow.

The part I posted up top was the letter that he wrote to the two teachers (one of whom was Yoda to my Obi Wan when I first started teaching here 10 years ago). As I said, I'll post the other letter tomorrow as I left it at work in my office (a copy, one of the other teachers has the original).

 

[DarthNeil]

Yes, that was his response to them asking about his character... just responding to them, but not answering a question they needed to answer for themselves.

Actually he did answer the question-- and quite well too I might add. I'll post the response tomorrow as it's in my office at work.

 

[galactiboy]

Ah I see, can't wait to see the rest.

 

[Entropy]

Thank you for clarifying Neil. Thought there was another letter, can't wait to read it. I love artists analyzing their own work. The series of 'x on x' books such as 'Burton on Burton' or 'Gilliam on Gilliam' are some of my favorites.

 

[DarthNeil]

It's a great answer. Essentially he writes about how the character of Beatty sees Guy Montag as a mirror-image of his younger self and he's trying to push him down the right path that he (in looking back) wishes that he had taken. Anyway, I can't do Bradbury's answer justice through my paraphrashing so I'll post it tomorrow when I get into work.

Glad that you enjoyed it. The kids get a huge kick out of hearing the voice of the author speak directly to them (well to some of their peers 30 years ago but still kids who sat in the same classroom that they sit in).

 

[The ill Jedi]

I LOVE Bradbury, he's one of my all time favorite authors.

 

[Agent0028]

Can't wait to read his response to the letter. I loved the book, I wish I could remember more about it, been forever since I read it. On a related note my cousin took an English class in college and the professor was a bonafide idiot. She stated Farenheit 451 is about a fireman who gets addicted to the smell of kerosene. Being a bibliophile like myself my cousin stood up, called the teacher and idiot and walked out and down to the registration office to drop the class.

 

[Vader AL]

I actually wrote him a letter asking him to act in one of my student films way back in film school.

He actually called me back personally. He wasn't able to appear in the film but we had a great conversation. One of the most inspiring things ever in my life.

I also heard him speak a few years later. He told me a great story you guys might appreciate. He used to cut out and collect Flash Gordon comic strips from the newspaper. He did it for years and as he got older his friends used to make fun of him. Embarrased, he threw them all away, feeling like he needed to grow up.

He later cried when he realized what he had done. He felt like he threw away a part of himself and he did it to make other people happy.

Anyway, as a collector who has never outgrown the hobby, I really connected with what he said.

He really is an inspiration. I highly recommend reading any of his books and if you are a creative person, his book on writing is really second to none. Just typing this makes me want to read it again.

Great stories! Wow!

 

[DarthNeil]

OK, as promised here's the letter in its entirety that Ray Bradbury wrote to the students in response to the question "did Beatty want to die?"

Dear [student's name] and friends in his class:

Yes, Beatty did want to die, in F. 451.

Sometimes a man who has done evil, in the midst of his evil, recognizes the good in a man like Montag who is struggling to free himself from former evil. Doing wrong all the time is a terrible long job, full of doubts and exhaustion. Beatty saw in Montag a reflection of his younger, more innocent self, and so allowed his younger self, in a way, to kill him.

There you have it, [student's name], and good friends, and good teachers.

I wish you all only the best wishes in the Holiday Season ahead.

Thank you for asking a good question.

Ties into the continued mirror symbolism in the novel... Clarisse's face, the shattered mirror noise when they arive at the end of part two to Montag's home for a fire alarm, and of course the end when Montag and the hobos are going to build a "mirror factory"... among others.

Anyway, as I said I was just going through that part of the novel and remembered I had these personal words from Bradbury and I thought some of you might enjoy reading them.

Cheers.

 

[Entropy]

Thanks Neil! Awesome letter. Makes me want to go back and re-read this classic from one of America's best living writers - now that Arthur C Clarke, Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter Thompson have left us.