Fahrenheit 451 Quotes

“It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed” (Bradbury 3). Towards the beginning of the novel it is noticeable that fire is praised by the protagonist and those who choose to conform to society’s rules. In this quote in particular, fire is being used as a tool against literature.

“You're not like the others. I've seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon, last night. The others would never do that. The others would walk off and leave me talking. Or threaten me. No one has time any more for anyone else. You're one of the few who put up with me. That's why I think it's so strange you're a fireman, it just doesn't seem right for you, somehow. (Page 21)

In Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” Montag starts off as seemingly normal as he goes about his job, home life and inner conscious. As elements are introduced, it is clear that psychologically he has been trained to think a certain way and live his life as if it were written, or programmed. Ray Bradbury creates this world that seems to promote “sameness” in Montag’s society, and clearly discourages any deviation of one’s job or role in society. In the course of the story, Montag ‘sinner peace is interrupted when he encounters a woman named Clarisse on his way home from work. From this moment, Montag is intrigued, and his inner psychological consciousness is impacted in a way that will change the way he sees his role in society, personal, professional, and even love life. His relationship with himself, his wife Mildred, his boss Beatty, and his coworkers, and finally the most impactful Clarisse. This affects Montag, and help him see his dystopian society for what it truly is, and how he’s been serving it.

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 Fahrenheit 451, Montag believed in something everyone in the city did not believe in and he was judged and treated badly by others around him because of his own beliefs and opinions. Throughout the beginning of the book, Montag had always followed the code and conduct of the firemen by burning books because I was apparently a crime to read or have any books in the house. After he talked to a girl named Clarisse, she completing change his opinion of books and encourages him to start reading it. Mildred his wife, starts to treat him badly and starts to lose her love for him because of his views and beliefs toward books after someone helped him understand how books could give you knowledge and wisdom. When Montag got caught for reading books, he was hunted, chased by the

One night Montag heads outside in the middle of the night.“The last few nights he had had the most uncertain feelings about the sidewalk just around the corner here, moving in the starlight toward his house”(pg.8). While walking he meets a 17 year old girl, named Clarisse McClellan, who is new in the neighborhood. She guesses right away that he is a firefighter because she smells kerosene. Clarisse asks, “Do you ever read any of the books you

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag’s view on life reverses. Two characters the influence the main character Guy Montag are the old lady whose house and books were burnt down and Mildred. The old lady was caught preserving books in her home. Firemen including Montag were ordered to burn the books. The old lady refused to leave her books, so she too was burned. She bravely gave an allusion as her last words, “Play the man,’ she said, ‘Master Ridley.’ Something, something, something” (F451 37). Beatty the fire chief who ordered to burn the books replied, ”We shall this day light such a candle, by God`s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out” (F451 37). Montag gave this incident a lot of thought. The more thought he gave it; the more he questioned why the old lady loved those books so much she would die for them. Montag, like most of his society has never read an illegal book, so he is unable to relate to the old woman. But, he feels the urge to find out why these books are so sacred. After reading he begins to realize society is a twisted lie do to the controlling government. Montag’s wife influenced him to stop and question their way of living. Mildred’s common life style shows unhappiness to Montag. In her corrupted mind her family is the television, not Montag. Montag sees this depression and emptiness in Mildred and begins to question the way society has made her. After Mildred attempts suicide Montag tries to prevent him from

Don’t be. Mistakes can be profited by,” and also, “We’re twins, we’re not alone anymore.” Faber mentors Montag into becoming more and more confident in his opinions. By making him feel important and part of something, Montag learns to have hope, that can push him to fight for what he believes

Throughout this passage, the word burn progresses over time from burning, to burned, to burnt. This relates to what Montag is thinking, and brings him to his realization that the firemen need to stop burning books. This is reinforced by the metaphor of “The sun burning every day. It burned time.... So if he burnt things with the firemen, and the sun burnt Time, that meant that everything burnt!”

Throughout the course of the novel Fahrenheit 451, we get to know the Protagonist, Guy Montag. After Montag is faced with his dilemma we find out what he is really like. While reading this book it became clear that Montag has a very reckless personality. Shortly after Montag decides what he is going to do, Faber gave Montag an earpiece so that Montag could have Faber guide him on what to do. However, Montag did not always listen which led to himself making reckless decisions. After Montag had left Faber’s, he headed home which soon led up to one of his biggest mistakes. Montag began to argue with Mildred’s friends about knowledge and books, and Montag did not want to keep his books hidden any longer. After the women asked what he was reading Montag openly replied “It’s poetry.

Throughout Fahrenheit 451, the recurring theme of Knowledge vs. Ignorance stirs up drama between the characters, and how they might change their ways for the better, or for the worse. In the novel, ignorance is shown to be “morally righteous,” while having knowledge is looked down upon as “inferior,” causing anger and conflict where there generally is none. For the purposes of the story, Montag goes through a crisis on whether to save the books, or keep on burning them. For every time Montag steals a book, his guilt increases, and he has to learn whether the choice he is about to make is worth it in the long run. To begin with, Montag is a great example of an ignorant citizen.

What was Montag thinking, reading books? How could he read books when his his whole life involved burning books? Montag, the fireman was good at his job, not only was he good but he was outstanding. He never disobeyed his orders he just did what he was told, he was like every other fireman. Montag started reading, he told no one because it was against the law, why would he? It wasn't smart, he couldn't stop reading it was a habit he saw that there were people in those books with problems and he was intrigued by that. The thought of Montag got more open and read these books was dangerous but it was also against the law.

Now on both of their behalves they really did not have the same view into the dystopian society. Montag believed it was wrong to burn books, and Mildred did not care about nothing including Montag and them books. “It is easy to read the women in Fahrenheit 451 as stock, one-dimensional characters, set up only to illustrate the opposite poles between which Montag struggles.” Montag does not realize he struggles to see the differences in him and women. “Although Montag has not yet recognized the problem with this reduction of happiness to a step below hedonism, a kind of vicarious hedonism, in which even sensation is often artificially provided, Beatty seems aware of it." Beatty realizes something different before Montag has the chance to. “Before Montag can begin to recognize his connection to others and to his inhuman society, however, he needs to reconnect with himself, reestablish his relationship with the world.”

“‘More sports for everyone, group spirit, fun, and you don’t have to think, eh? Organize and organize and superorganize super-super sports. More cartoons in books. More pictures. The mind drinks less and less. Impatience. Highways full of crowds going somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, nowhere. The gasoline refugee. Towns turn into motels, people in nomadic surges from place to place, following the noon tides, living tonight in the room where you slept this noon and I the night before.’”(page 57) is what Beatty tells Montag, in a way implying that without books, people don’t have to think, they are mindless in their activities, going one place to another, never really thinking. Fahrenheit 451 is a book about a man in a dystopia who is content until he realises that he is missing out on something, books. His job is to burn books though, so he has to figure out a way to keep the books that he has stolen, his job, and a low profile so his co-workers, ‘friends’, and wife don’t figure him out. When his captain starts to get suspicious about Montag having books, Montag’s life gets a little harder. He has to make the decision when he is confronted with it to kill his captain, run away, and find the book people that will accept him. Montag makes this decision, and because of it he is hunted, but he gets away from his nightmare of a life, it is almost like he gets to restart. Ray Bradbury, the author, suggests that books do not only teach, but with the absence of them, they are

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.