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46
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What message is Bradbury trying to convey in Fahrenheit 451?
Fahrenheit 451 is one of Ray Bradbury's most famous works and possibly one of the most famous books in modern times.
In my experience most people who read the book believe that Bradbury was warning of the dangers of state-sponsored censorship (i.e.…
Skooba
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Was the title "The Lord of the Rings" picked on purpose to be ambiguous?
In one sense, it might refer to "the lord of" the rings, as in the person or entity currently in possession of The One ring.
In another way, it could (IMO) mean that The One ring is "the lord" out of the rings. As in, it "owns" the lesser rings, and…
B. Braunsdorf
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Why does "Watchmen" use the 9-panel grid?
Watchmen, the 1986 comic written by Alan Moore and drawn/lettered by Dave Gibbons, is recogniseable (among other features) for the schematic of its comic pages - they all use the 9-panel grid:
Image source
Sometimes the pages don't have exactly 9…
Gallifreyan
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Why is a raven like a writing desk?
"Mad Hatter: 'Why is a raven like a writing-desk?'
...
'Have you guessed the riddle yet?' the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
'No, I give it up,' Alice replied: 'What’s the answer?'
'I haven’t the slightest idea,' said the Hatter"
We…
Beastly Gerbil
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The author of a literary work disagrees with critics about meaning—who's right?
I've just come up with a conjecture on what a piece of literature means, but the author has said that they didn't mean for their work to suggest that.
For example, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is often considered an iconic book about censorship,…
Aurora0001
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Does Snape talk in code?
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Snape asks Harry many questions during his first Potions class.
The first thing Snape asks Harry is
“Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”…
Xetrov
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Is there anything that definitely confirms that Svidrigailov actually committed murder in "Crime and Punishment?"
Is there any proof that Svidrigailov actually committed murder in Crime and Punishment, of either Philip (his servant) or Marfa Petrovna (his wife)?
By proof, I mean either a nuanced passage I might have missed in the actual book, some sort of…
JNat
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Should I read The Silmarillion before or after reading The Lord of the Rings?
I spent an extensive amount of time as an undergrad writing about and researching The Hobbit, especially in terms of Tolkien's famous essay on Beowulf. Getting a sense of what inspired Tolkien greatly enhanced my understanding of and appreciation…
Peter
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37
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In 1984, why did O'Brien wait so long?
In Orwell's 1984, O'Brien knows well that Julia and Winston are enemies of the Party when they come to his house to pledge their allegiance to the Brotherhood. Why doesn't he immediately arrest them then? In the novel itself, there's quite a gap…
fi12
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Why is Aragorn so weird to Pippin when they make their final farewell before going back to the Shire?
But the Palantir of Orthanc the King will keep, to see what is passing in his realm, and what his servants are doing. For do not forget, Peregrin Took, that you are a knight of Gondor, and I do not release you from your service. You are going now…
Gandalf
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36
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2 answers
Is Judaism represented in the Narnia books?
In C.S. Lewis's Narnia books, it's very clear that the Narnians are meant to represent Christianity, with Aslan symbolising Jesus (in fact, Aslan is literally Jesus in-universe), while the Calormenes are meant to represent Islam. Which invites the…
Rand al'Thor
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Was there a reason Victor Hugo chose 24601 as the number for Jean Valjean?
24601 has developed into being an iconic part of both the Les Miserables book and musical. Was that number special to him, or was it simply a random number he chose (I doubt it)?
Matrim Cauthon
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Why do many Korean folk tales start with "back when tigers smoked"?
I've read in a few sources that the Korean equivalent of the "once upon a time ..." which often begins English folk stories is something like "back when tigers smoked ..." or "when tigers used to smoke ..."
Why has this become a standard way to…
Rand al'Thor
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George Orwell's 1984 banned for contradictory reasons?
The book 1984, being about suppression of information itself, was banned in the USSR for being anti-communist, but it also was banned in the USA for being pro-communist.
Is there any analysis where this apparent contradiction is explained?
Bookeater
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Why has Bill Watterson ('Calvin and Hobbes') been retired for so long?
Calvin and Hobbes had a 10-year run (from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995). Bill Watterson was born July 5, 1958, meaning that he was 28 when the strip started, 38 when it concluded, and is now 59. The strip concluded almost exactly 22 years…
EJoshuaS - Stand with Ukraine
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