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Changes In Fahrenheit 451

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In the novel Fahrenheit 451: The Hearth and the Salamander Ray Bradbury discusses about how easily people are influenced by others through Montag's case. Living in a world of entertainment, Montag was blessed with a job as a fireman, in which he is in charge of burning up books. However, after a small chat with Clarisse, Montag began to view the world differently. Bradbury uses characterization to emphasize this change. In addition, the author utilizes the literary element flashback and conflict to demonstrate Montag's astonishment to the cold society after he was enlightened by Clarisse. Throughout the first part of the novel: The Hearth and the Salamander, the author highlights the apparent change in Montag after he was influenced by Clarisse. At first, Montag is characterized as a proud, happy fireman who would not doubt the life that he is living now, "It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure...to see things blackened and changed." Montag believed that everything he is doing is correct up to this point and he was ignorant to the feelings of those who have …show more content…

Right at the beginning of his acquainting with Clarisse, Montag flashbacks to that "one afternoon a year ago when he had met an old man and they had talked..." This clearly shows that only a few minutes of chatting is capable of influencing someone to begin to think about something that proves precious and nostalgic to him. Moreover, Montag later flashes back to the woman whom lit herself up and mentions it to his wife. However, he only found himself frustrated when it was revealed that his wife is callous and ignorant to the events occurring around her, "She's nothing to me; she shouldn't have had books. It was her responsibility, she should've thought of that..." Such scene demonstrates the changes in Montag, in which he began to see more of the world in a different way, with more

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