Farnehiet 451 by Ray Bradbury

She told Montag about all the tiniest details in life that “normal people” would have never noticed before, she made simple aspects of day to day life into deep thought-provoking aspects. Clarisse asked if Montag was happy. This made Montag be in denial at first, but soon came to a realization that he really wasn’t really happy, he was unsatisfied with the life he was leading. Montag’s curiosity increases from before which leads him to read a few books he stole and soon starts to notice the flaws of his dystopian society. He comes to realize the government’s overreaching control over its citizens and his true desire to read and understand books overwhelms him to find help.

Clarisse is a curious girl about her environment, how the earth has evolved, and the past. She rubs off on Montag, which could lead to a dramatic change in his life.

He read a dozen pages here and there. . . Mildred sat across the hall from him. ‘What does it mean? It doesn’t mean anything! The Captain was right!’ ‘Here now,’ said Montag. ‘We’ll start over again, at the beginning.’ “ (65). Montag’s captain, Beatty, has just left his house. Because Montag’s wife, Mildred, has discovered the book Montag stole, he reveals to her, and to the reader, that he has been stockpiling many books for a while now. Montag saw how insistent Beatty was on how books were confusing garbage compared to the fast and instant entertainment of the TV walls. However, having met Clarisse, he begins to wonder if the books actually contain anything worthwhile, and if they contain actual value. Thus, because Mildred has found the book, he makes her read them with him. Mildred reacts the way she does because she has been spoonfed thoughtless entertainment, and thus cannot think critically about what she reads. Montag, on the other hand, is willing to accept this and try and understand what he reads. Mildred shows how well the government has controlled the citizens. She is unwilling to think and understand, only watch. Also, because Mildred sees that Montag has books, she may disclose his secret to the very firemen he works with, as she has been told almost all of her life that books are bad, and should be reported to the nearest fire station. This may cause their relationship to become very strained in the

Fire is believed to be a key tool for survival, in Fahrenheit 45, it is killing them. It’s bright and entertaining but when the final embers fade from existence, it becomes dark and soul crushing. Fire used for the most basic human needs like to cook raw meat so we can eat it and survive, but it also kills a family when the blanket is left to close to a space heater. When you see that all that remains of the Holy Bible, is a black compressed brick, then and only then you realize how unforgiving fire truly is. Ray Bradbury is not a writer, he is a pyromaniac, every metaphor and description is just used to satisfy his addiction. If I had to narrow down all the characteristics of fire down into three words, they would be entertaining, depressing, and powerful. If I had to describe Fahrenheit 451 in three words, they would be entertaining, depressing, and powerful.

In a society preserved by destruction, fire was thought to be the answer. Guy Montag, one of many firemen, participated in this so called “preservation”. Books were considered abominations. Reading provoked thought, and thought led to reality and unhappiness. The solution was to burn everything. Burn the books, burn the houses, burn the foundations of life! Guy went along with this, led his boring life, took the boring walks to and from his work, and afterwards came home to his boring wife Mildred. She, like many others, was consumed by her television “families”. All was thought to be well until one day he stumbled across Clarisse, a curious girl in his incurious world. She awakened his mind and senses. Changed by her, he works to preserve

When an author produces a work of literature, they are greatly influenced by the world around them. Inspired by life in society, authors are able to create work that speaks to their observations and views on society and its functions. In the book Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury incorporated the corruption of the society in which he lived in into the dystopian society created in his book. Fahrenheit 451, a fictional book about a protagonist’s attempt to overcome a dystopian society’s corruption, was written by Ray Bradbury while living in 1950’s America. The book focuses on themes of censorship, and illustrates the effects of when a society is controlled and limited. The correlation between the story and the time it was written is

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

“"I’m hungry" "Last night" he began. "Didn’t sleep well. Feel terrible" she said. "God I’m hungry I can’t figure it" "Last night" he said again. She watched his lips casually. "What about last night" "Don’t you remember"”. Mildred doesn’t really listens to Montag He always tries to tell her something but she seems careless about it. He feels like he’s not getting the attention he wants from her. ““When did we meet? Where?”… “It doesn’t matter.” She was up, in the bathroom now, and he heard the water running, and the swallowing sound she made. “No, I guess not,” he said. This demonstrates that all this years of marriage meant nothing to Mildred. By her not remembering how they meet tells that Mildred doesn’t really care about their marriage.

(Bradbury 5). This reveals how at the beginning of the novel, Montag is a law abiding citizen, who does not have a mind of his own. Another excellent example of how Clarisse helps Montag to see things differently is when she asks him “Are you happy?” (Bradbury 7) At first, Montag is upset and stumped by the question, but after thinking about if he was actually happy, his entire spectrum on him being happy completely

Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury demonstrates a different kind of censorship. He exposes an insidious censorship that is brewed from distraction. The distraction is achieved by the banning of books, claimed to be a step toward equality. But, Bradbury shows that without intellectual freedom, equality is an empty promise which leads itself to totalitarianism and rebellion.

Guy Montag in this novel is discontent with his life for many reasons, but at first he was living, what most people would call, a perfect life. Montag’s discontent started when he had to witness a woman burning herself alive, and when a girl he met, Clarisse McClellan, asked him the question of, “‘Are you happy?’” (F451, Bradbury, page 10). After Clarisse asks Montag this question, he begins questioning whether or not he is happy. He comes to the conclusion that he isn’t and begins trying to find why he isn’t, but in doing so, he begins discovering all of the flaws of his world, like the war, censorship, and mind-numbing entertainment like the massive televisions and whatnot.

Montag sees the potential in books and can’t keep these rising feelings to himself. Just as the song describes, Montag was wearing a mask and posing to be something he’s not until Clarisse openes his eyes to a new world. The song later says,

The consequence of this behavior could send Montag to prison, which Montag does not care about. After reading several books Montag talks with his close friend, Faber, and says to him "We have everything to be happy, but we're not happy" .What Montag tells Faber at that moment is really an expression of how he started analyzing more after starting reading books. Although Montag's love life changes and his view of society are changed too, this is not the only change Montag must admit. In the start of the book Montag is delighted in the work of burning illegal books and the homes of where they are found. However, as the book progresses, Montag becomes increasingly disgruntled, as he realizes that he has an empty, unfulfilling life. A point that shows that Montag in the start of the book is happy about his job is when he hangs up his helmet and shines it; hangs up his jacket neatly; showers luxuriously, and then, whistling walks across the upper floor.

Montag first changes when he meets Clarisse, opening his eyes and being able to see his own faults and those of the society. He then proceeds to further change when he questions himself and thinks about his lifestyle after learning how powerful the meaning in the books are when the woman insists on dying. Montag learns the importance of books in the society when he meets Faber, learning how the meaning in books can be applied to what is happening in society. Finally, killing Beatty shows his change from being a passive reader and spy to an active

Montag begins to question his life when he meets his new Neighbor, Clarisse. She allows Montag to develop individualistic ideas by asking him thought provoking questions. On of these questions being if Montag was truly happy.