Fahrenheit 451: Granger

Imagine a world in which ignorance is the only fulfillment you are able to have. This is the world in which Guy Montag resides. His job is to erase knowledge from the people’s minds by burning books until he discovers the true value of knowledge. In Fahrenheit 451, many of Montag’s actions, thoughts, and interactions with other characters construct the idea that knowledge supplies true fulfillment, while ignorance leads to conformity and destruction. Throughout part one of the novel, Montag not only demonstrates his own, destructive ignorance, but he also begins to show promise that he will seek out true knowledge.

Some people deal with the oppressive rule of censorship and are unable to know certain information. If one conforms to the reputation of the society while questioning inwardly, he/she may become increasingly compelled to seek for answers to become satisfied. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag questions the importance of his role of burning books as a fireman. Although Montag increasingly strives to understand literature and reveal the significance of books, his fear of ruining his reputation causes him to try and remain secretive. As Montag’s intellectual thinking develops, he becomes more willing to take bold risks and sacrifices to obtain the knowledge he desires.

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, there are many different characters and each one plays a different role. One of the main characters, Guy Montag, is a fireman who takes pride in his work and enjoys burning books as a part of his job. His outlook about burning books changes after he meets Clarisse McClellan and Professor Faber. It’s very interesting how Montag’s way of thinking transforms overtime. He becomes very courageous about hiding books and is also curious about reading them. Throughout the novel his actions, ideas, and his feelings change as he starts to think for himself.

In the book Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, shows a society that is totally consumed by pleasure and laziness. Among this society there is a certain individual who rebels against his society’s nature, Guy Montag. Montag is a fireman and in his civilization, he burns books instead of putting out fires. Montag in the beginning of the book was mindless as any other citizen in his society. He was ignorant until his eyes were opened by a strange girl named Clarisse McClellan. She made him realize what knowledge is and why it should be obtained. Shortly after this event Montag steals a book, which is illegal in this community. When this situation has occurred the police in Montag’s city started chasing him. While Montag was on the run he runs into an organization of people where they try to save the information that are in the

Montag, as the main protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, is a highly dynamic character.His new found want to learn, understand the world and fix the issues, he himself was blind to for years, makes him a relatable characterization for human curiosity. His society views “free thought” as a menace to the collective good despite seeing the signs that the entire system is failing. Mass suicides, endorphine powered joy rides, and murder have replaced human thought and compassion. His ability to break against the grain gifts him with both disadvantages and advantages as he faces new obstacles throughout the novel.

Knowledge is power. A power that gives the people their right to have influence in society. Imagine a world where this power was taken away. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a fireman named Guy Montag lives in a society some time in the future where a fireman’s job is to burn all books in order to prevent people from trying to revolt against the government with knowledge, and the books are replaced by mindless technology. Montag is originally one of the majority of people who is brainwashed and conforms to this society. After meeting an unusual teenager named Clarisse who introduces him to books, Montag starts to wonder what books are really like. As he begins reading literature, Montag breaks away from the others and becomes one of these non-conformists himself, speaking out against the corrupt society. Many key aspects of the society set up by Bradbury show how technology has destroyed this fictional society and causes readers to notice similarities in today’s real society.

Ray Bradbury’s, Fahrenheit 451, is an alarming science fiction classic novel and a powerful commentary on humankind’s urge to suppress what it doesn’t understand. In this dystopian fictional world books are illegal; they are burned to a crisp when found. Books are very powerful. They come with knowledge, and knowledge can bring fear. Fear many times is something one cannot understand. To understand, one must know why one fears. Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451 realizes this importance of the knowledge in books when he meets a young woman; Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse is an outsider, a very different type of girl. When she meets Montag, Clarisse sparks a change in him. Her curiosity and questioning is so unique that Montag is struck by her. He

Heroes and Villains has been the most basic concept that has perpetuated in literature. Good guys and Bad guys, anyone can understand that, but literature chooses to go deeper. Literature chooses to create the Heroes journey, and make it take on a much greater meaning than the reader or Hero had previously believed. For example, the fireman Guy Montag originally he had wanted to be able to understand his own life, and the paradoxes in it, with the help of the books he was secretly saving from the other firemen. Montag can be considered the Hero in Fahrenheit 451, although most of his steps toward his goals are uncoordinated and clumsy.

Granger is the head of a group of former book burners who memorize and recall books for preservation. “All of us have photographic memories, but spend a lifetime learning how to block off the things that are really in there” (151). In this moment, Granger explains to Montag that his group remembers whole books, but he implies that by doing so, it reveals something disturbing. With the risks that come of hiding away with books in mind, Granger and his friends still do it. “We’re used to that. We all made the right king of mistakes, or we wouldn’t be here. When we were separate individuals, all we had was rage. I struck a fireman when he came to burn my library years ago. I’ve been running ever since. You want to join us, Montag” (150)? After Montag is filled in by Granger

“There must be something in books, something we can imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”(Pg. 51) Main character Guy Montag is a servant to a society that is controlled by censorship and the fear of knowledge; Montag has spent his life burning books, to prevent the spread knowledge. But a series of events cause Montag's mind to change, and result in him breaking free from his society. The internal struggle of dynamic character Guy Montag, as to whether he should go on believing the lies his society has told him, or risk his life for something as simple as words on a page, brings readers into the corrupt society of Fahrenheit 451. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 author Ray

In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, the writer depicts a futuristic civilization where humanity has evolved to leave behind its natural human dispositions. In this time frame the value of self-discipline is restricted by the government whom neglect free thinking. Guy Montag, protagonist of the novel, shifts from an obedient man with a hopeless perception of happiness into a self-righteous ideological thinker with an emphasis on seeking the truth. Meanwhile much of society is blinded by the standards of this futuristic society, three people in particular play a fundamental role in applying their own philosophies: Clarisse, Faber, and Granger. Although all three of these mentors share different views of the world, they do value the origins of humanity and go against modern society’s status quo.

Granger enlightens Montag on an important piece of advice. "'I hate a Roman named Status Quo!' he said to me. 'Stuff your eyes with wonder,' he said, 'live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.'" (157) This proves that life should be lived to its fullest everyday. Nothing can replace a full life and Granger inspires Montag to try to succeed in life by sharing this advice. Granger believes a way to live life to its fullest is to read. "'It is,' replied Granger, smiling. 'We're book burners, too. We read the books and burnt them, afraid they'd be found...Better to keep it in the old heads, where no one can see it or suspect it.'" (152) In order for them to stay safe, Granger and his crew read yet memorize the books which intrigues Montag on the affect reading has on the society and how important it is. This memorization resulted in a new way of sharing stories. "'If not, we'll just have to wait. We'll pass the books on to our children, by word of mouth, and let our children wait, in turn, on the other people'" (153) Granger plans on telling the stories of knowledge and books to other people. This is another way of sharing knowledge that Montag realizes is effective. After all, there are minimal people who want to be educated in their society so there is no wrong

In Fahrenheit 451’s dystopian society, the possession of books is considered criminal. A once proud fireman who regularly burned books turned a new leaf and began to understand and value the importance of literature. Multiple characters in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 impact the ex-firemans, Montag, life in a way that changed him forever. Throughout the novel Montag discovers a different outlook and perspective on the society in which he lives and how he perceives books. From a fireman to an outlaw, a few specific characters greatly impact Montag. Montag meets a young woman who perceives the world in a different way which affects Montag’s outlook on society. Also, a retired English professor gave Montag confidence and the comprehension of books. A character close to Montag, his wife, shows him how the loss of importance of books would affect his life . When Montag goes outside, he comes across a young woman who does not seem like the others in the city. Montag begins to talk to her and his life changes in a major way.

Montag is trying to memorize the Bible and in doing so he tells himself, “Shut up, thought Montag. Consider the lilies in the field” (74). This is an allusion to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus teaches his followers of morals and spoke against tangible, worldly items. Which parallels completely to the idea of being an individual in society rather than a monotone drone because if people could keep their intellectual property, the society Bradbury has created would become obsolete. Thus demonstrating the dangers of censorship. Multiple other allusions are made by Faber, Montag’s old professor who gives in to teaching him about books. Faber explains that Montag should pity those who burn books and are captivated by the pretty fire because they do not know any better (99). This alludes to the forgiving nature of God in the New Testament, as Faber tells Montag that they don’t know any better, just as people who are not in the light of God do not know that they are doing anything wrong (in accordance with Christian literature). In relation to the New Testament, being forgiving and accepting is what the society in Fahrenheit 451 is lacking, showing that by acceptance people of all different thoughts may coexist peacefully. Faber’s name is actually derived from Homo Faber, or the creator of everything in the life of homo sapiens, therefore depicting him in a godly

To begin, rebelling against oppressive rule has allowed Montag to escape their rulers brainwashing and free their minds from the corruptive manipulation put in place by ruling powers. Author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury goes on to explain, “If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one.