Coming Up With An Effective Essay Title On Fahrenheit 451: Tips & Examples
Even though the title of any essay is nowhere near as important as the actual paper itself, students struggle with creating the title. Many students think that an appropriate title is the name of the book they are analyzing. While it is perfectly acceptable to include the title of the book in the title, students should never just use the book as their paper’s title. Instead the title should provide a subtle preview of the paper itself so readers will have some idea of the essay they will read. Here are some tips and examples:
- Tip #1: The title should reflect the essay prompt. For example, if the prompt is “This novel focuses on censorship. What can readers learn about censorship and apply to our world today?” Potential topics could include “Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 and in Today’s World” or “Censorship Lessons in Fahrenheit 451 Apply to the United States in 2015” or “Don’t Repeat the Censorship in Fahrenheit 451.”
- Tip #2: The title can use alliteration to get the reader’s attention. For example, you could create a title using the idea of book burning. “Burning Books Baffle the Banned” or “Flaming Fingers Fly in Fahrenheit 451” or “Truth Tellers Today.” Alliteration, playing with repetition of consonant sounds, is an effective way to begin any paper, especially when you can include words that connect closely to the topics and themes of the book.
- Tip #3: The title can include a play on words. The fact that book is so heavily focused on the idea of burning books, family dynamics, and social structure, you can use phrases like Burning Truth, Searing Social Structure, Families on Fire, the Heat of the Moment, or similar ideas. It can be fun to try to create a clever title. Since one of the character rises from the ashes, those plays on words could involve a Phoenix, too.
- Tip #4: Keep it short and sweet. Some experts recommend creating titles that have three words or fewer. You can do this by shortening your thesis statement down to the tightest element you can. So if your thesis involved the changes that the main character faced, you could craft an essay title like “Montag Develops Discontent” or “Fire Burns Cold”. Short titles are catchy and the limited number of words does entice the reader to want to know more.