Fair Field County Business Daily

What are some quotes form Farenheit 451 that are about either violence in leisure or the dumbing down of info?

I have to write about how Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a cautionary tale about today's issues. I was supposed to pick two issues to discuss and find a current event article and 2 quotes from the book about it, but I'm having trouble finding good quotes to represent the two topics i chose: violence as leisure and the dumbing down of information for the masses. Can you please help me?

Public Comments

1. It's weird you're having trouble finding examples of violence...just get a quote about a fireman's point of view of books, or why people shouldn't read, or any mention of the war. Leisure is a little odd and doesn't really fit in with violence or the story line. Maybe you should choose something new? Here are some quotes online: http://classiclit.about.com/od/fahrenheit451rb/a/aa_f451quotes.htm
2. From Part 1: The Hearth and the Salamander (don't have page numbers) "It was a pleasure to burn" "With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word `intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar." "People want to be happy, isn't that right? Haven't you heard it all your life? I want to be happy, people say. Well, aren't they? Don't we keep them moving, don't we give them fun? That's all we live for, isn't it? For pleasure, for titillation? And you must admit our culture provides plenty of these." There's a couple, here's the link for more quotes. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451 This one is my favorite "The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies."
3. These are the two primary themes of the novels. Try this. Open the book. Read a few paragraphs. See if they apply to either of these topics.