Fahrenheit 451 Literary Analysis

Montag's desire to acquire knowledge through books is dealt with by the rulers is that Montag’s boss, Beatty, says it was normal for a fireman to go through these phases of fascination of what books have to offer. Beatty tells Montag,” What traitors books can be! You think they’re backing you up, and then they turn on you. Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives.” But, Beatty is missing the point on how valuable books can be. So Beatty tells Montag to read through all of the books Montag has stashed to see if the books contain anything worthwhile, then the next day turn them in to be burned.

Firstly, Montag faces the conflict of having to burn down a house with a woman in it, which led him to thinking that something important may be hidden within the books that could be different from what he has learning in this new version of society; Montag becomes more curious through this event and starts to wonder. Eventually, the protagonist is so deeply engrossed in his curiosity that “his hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion, with an insanity of mindlessness to his chest” (Bradbury 34). This quote illustrates

Therefore, through books, Montag becomes conscious of the monotony of his previous life, and now rebels against the very foundations of his society. Due to this intellectual illumination, Montag begins to acknowledge the details of the world around him, details he had once ignored: ‘”Bet I know something else you don’t. There’s dew on the grass this morning.”’As enlightenment dawns on Montag, he finally begins to realise the power within books (i.e. they hold the key to power through knowledge) and this is his ‘crime’ against society: ‘There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house...’ Despite his newfound interest, Montag is still struggling to understand the concept of literature. Once again however, Montag is pushed in the right direction by Professor Faber. Under Faber’s guidance, Montag recognises that ‘There is nothing magical about [books] at all. The magic is only with what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment.’ This quote exemplifies the fact that although books are the combination of mere ink and paper, it is the beliefs and the knowledge within a book that are so incredibly powerful.

Some people have not put into consideration of how knowledge can benefit one’s life. Instead, they overlook the value of knowledge and do not have the motivation to gain knowledge or put it to good use. Montag’s society reveals their reluctance and ignorance toward gaining the knowledge and information a book contains when Mrs. Bowles exclaims, “Silly awful hurting words…not enough hurt in the world, you got to tease people with stuff like that!” (101) when Montag was reading the poem, Dover Beach to Mildred’s friends. In modern day settings, people will find shortcuts when reading books instead of enjoying the pleasure of books. Some people are not interested in taking the time to read and gain the full knowledge and understanding, instead they will rely on the media. They are more interested with the newest technology than what knowledge has to offer one; they are not concerned with the important keys of

In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is one man attempting to turn his society upside down. After discovering for himself the injustice of his society as it shuns all literature, Montag relentlessly fights to fix this corruption and endures large amounts of persecution in the process (Bradbury). Meanwhile, in his autobiography, Narrative in the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass recounts his past as a single slave doing his best to right the evils of southern slaveholders. Although one takes place in a fantasy and one during 19th century America, both works portray individuals going against the unjust grain of their societies, and persevering through extreme opposition in the process. After escaping the grip of slavery, Douglass recounts his life story to a curious, yet most-likely privileged audience in an intelligent and revealing manner. Throughout his narrative, Douglass praises the surprising resilience of the human spirit even in the midst of constant hardship.

Immediately Faber replies with “It’s not books you need its some of the things that once were in books” (78). From there Montag begins to understand the magic within books and its effects on people. Montag finally understanding books for what they are uses this knowledge in an attempt to bring Mildred’s friends to the realization of their errors. What Montag did was read a poem to his wife’s friends one night while playing it off as a joke, Montag knowing the meaning of the poem and what effects it could have on an unstable housewife. Montag successfully brought them to reality at least for a time making one of them rethink about their past decisions to the point of tears. Although Faber was totally against this act he was the one who could be held accountable for changing Montag’s view on books because now he understands what books mean and how to use them to his advantage.

“The woman reached out with contempt to them all, and struck the kitchen match against the railing” (37). Montag and the other firemen report to a house that is suspected of harboring books. They are correct, and they find books in the attic of the home. The books belong to an old woman whose name is unknown to the readers, and she was devastated that the firemen were destroying her home and books. Ultimately she kills herself by setting fire to herself, her home, and the books. The very property and books in question that were about to be burned by Captain Beatty. She felt that books were so important in her life that she could not go on without them. Some people would feel that things to die for, like freedom, liberty, and their family would be more important, but this woman chose her books. It seems very clear to me that Ray Bradbury seems to be telling us, the readers, that there are things in life

Once Montag begins reading the book that he took from burning the books at someone’s house in the past, he realizes how censored the world he is living in is. He thinks about the whole issue with Faber, a professor, about everything that is wrong, along with the fact that they are not happy because the world they are living in censored. Montag later returns back to his wife who was watching “her family” on television, when she discovered that he had a book. He talked to her all about the restriction in their world, then went to work. When he arrived, he got ready to go to the next house to burn the books, and it was his own. He thought through everything and decided he would live a happier life away from all of the censorship, so he decided to run away. In the end, the whole city ended in a war, in the search for Montag, all because of the censorship that took place, causing all of this to happen. The people living in the novel thought that they were happy, but their lack of knowledge made it hard for them to see how miserably they were living. The novel Fahrenheit 451, displays the dangers of censorship, and the fact that people should be living in a world where they are

In Fahrenheit 451, The Hearth and the Sledgehammer, Ray Bradbury writes of a fireman, Guy Montag, who is the fireman in charge of burning books. He wears a helmet with the numbers 451 engraved in it, which represents the temperature at which paper burns. His uniform, black with with a sledgehammer on the arm, which seems to really attract the ladies. After suspecting an abiding near by he decides to meet up with his new neighbor, Clarisse, instantaneously she becomes greatly intoxicated by the fact that he is a fireman and feels a slight attraction toward him. Clarisse's constant “flirting” with Montag causes him to slightly feel attracted to her. After meeting with his new neighbor Montag returns home only to find his wife, Mildred, doing exactly what she had been doing for the past two years, listening to the radio with her earphones.

Montag lives in a society where books aren’t allowed, but when he starts realizing things his feelings change about books and love. Clarisse a girl comes into Montag’s life and shows him a different view in love. Also, an old man, Fabor, Montag met at the park shows Montag a different view in books. Montag believed that reading books were useless and that he’s in love with mildred, but towards the end Montag learns from Clarisse and Fabor that books are more than words on paper and that he wasn’t really in love with Mildred.

Oh, to scratch that itch, eh? Well, Montag, take my word for it, I’ve had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and the books say nothing! Nothing you can teach or believe. … You come away lost.’” (Bradbury 59) He explains that the words in books do not seem to be of any value, and that reading them gives the reader not a speck of insight into any aspect of life. In this society, his words ring true for almost everyone, except those who managed to learn before the schools shut down and those who yearned to understand what books say. Furthermore, Beatty’s attempts to force Montag into the mold of this society pushes the man to search for wisdom in the depths of literature.

This quote really shows the power of books in Montag’s society and how they control the power of books. It also shows society's attitude towards books because of how Montag laughs at being questioned about reading the books. This quote honestly depicts how books have been manipulated to have a negative

Montag wants people and himself to know what true happiness feels like. Through learning and reading books, people can finally achieve the desired happiness. Also, Montag turns into a society changer because his friend Clarisse dies. Montag feels that he needs to honor her through reading and spreading books. In summary, Clarisse McClellan’s few conversations with Montag left an everlasting impression which causes Montag’s desire for change in

As Montag starts to have these revelations, he begins to challenge all of these wrongs, not because he thinks he can fix them, but because he hopes by at least acknowledging and fighting against these obvious faults, he can bring happiness, or at least meaning to his life.

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.