People's values, views, and demeanor change as the meet new people and encounter events that impact his/her life. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, he describes events that Guy Montag, a firefighter, has come across that have impacted the way he thinks and acts within his community. Montag's view on the society he lives in has changed drastically because of the people he has come into contact with and because of the events he has experienced throughout this novel.
Montag walked home one evening as he meets his neighbor Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse is a seventeen year old girl who views the society she lives in differently than everyone else does. Montag and Clarisse being to walk home as she asks him multiple questions
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Being a firefighter in the society he lives in means you start fires rather than put them out. At work one day, Montag and his friends get a call to go burn down a woman's home because she broke the law. The woman had books stored in her home and that was forbidden by the government in their society. As Montag and his co workers arrived to the old woman’s home to start the fire, she refused to leave her home. As Montag went into her house to get the woman he stole a book from her. Bradbury mentioned, “ Montag’s hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion, with an insanity of mindlessness to his chest”(Bradbury 34). This shows the curiosity of Montag as he wants to know what books consist of although it is against the law to read/own books. Montag’s action shows that he has changed because he would never have stolen a book unless Clarisse did not ask him about book and the role of his job, which lead him to question himself. Montag’s actions she the conflict as a man vs self conflict because ever since meeting Clarisse he has been questioning himself and his actions which lead him to pursue other actions that are against the law. After stealing the book, and asking the woman to please move out of her house, she refused and insisted on burning with the house if she could not have her books. So she did. Watching the woman burn with her house Montag was in shock. …show more content…
He did not understand it. Mildred tells him that is exactly why the books are against the law. They just make life more complex. Later in the week Montag goes to work and him and his co workers received another call. They went to where they were supposed to go however the call was a call on Montag’s home. Someone had turned him in. As Montag saw Mildred run out of their house he said, “ Mildred, you didn’t put in the alarm” (Bradbury 108)! By Mildred turning in Montag it shows how their relationship is not a strong and trustworthy relationship. Mildred had turned in her own husband. This event was a man vs man conflict which impacted Montag majorly. This event changed Montag for the good though because he realized how wrong the society around him was. Montag refused to get caught so he ran out of town and kept running until he felt safe. Eventually, Montag ended up at a river where he met a man named Granger. Granger welcomed Montag and told him that him and his friends were also book burners. Granger said, “ We’re book burners too. We read the books and burnt them, afraid they’d be found” (Bradbury 145). By meeting Granger and his friends allowed Montag to speak freely of books and the value he believes they have. The event of meeting Granger was a man vs man conflict which changed Montag greatly. Montag was now able to communicate with others who
The novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury is a fascinating story which talks about a dystopian world which is always evolutionizing, specially the characters which never “alight”. Guy Montag, the main character of this story is in a constant dilemma. “Be or not to be?” Montag, living in his point of view a normal life, till one day when he met this girl Clarisse. The one that changed his life by making him think in a different way. He feels the necessity to make changes, he can't live like he use to after Clarisse. Since his real eyes, realize the real lies his world hide. He goes through several changes while the development of this story. Bradbury develops the theme of change and transformation by the way Montag discovers each time more and more about his situation which makes him change his thoughts and transform as a person as well.
Montag responded with, “That’s against the law!” (8). This shows that, at first, Montag thought of nothing about books. This also shows that Montag had no intention of learning anything from the books. Then, near the end of the book, “She [Mildred] must have watched him hide the books in the garden…” (115-116).
Clarisse tells Montag this, and it makes him wonder if anyone really does care. Montag realizes that he lives in a world of conceited people. He realizes that he does not really care about anyone, including his wife Mildred. People in his society don't think about others feelings when acting. From this, Montag learns the meaning of caring. He learns what a terrible place it is to live in, where no one cares about anyone but themselves. This only changes Montag for the better. At one point, Montag and the other firemen go to a house because a lady has books concealed in her home. The lady, not concerned about being burned to death, is determined to stay with her books. Montag is stunned by her decision, and cares very much about her safety. “Montag placed his hand on the woman's elbow. 'You can come with me'” (Bradbury 39) This is a turning point for Montag, in which he starts to care about everyone and their feelings.
Montag soon begins to enter the bonfire stage. Clarisse, is an observant, curious, open-minded and unique 17 year old girl. Montag, after meeting a couple times with Clarisse, is when his eyes truly open that his society is full of fake realities. He becomes observant and starts asking questions about his society. While being with Clarisse, Montag would smell the leaves and notice the small details; therefore, he was having a shift from being a prisoner to going up to the bonfire. On page #48 it says, “ You’re not sick,” said Mildred. Montag fell back in bed. He reached under the pillow. The hidden book was still there. “Mildred, how would it be if, well, maybe I quit my job awhile?” “You want to give up everything? After all these years of working, because, one night, some woman and her books-” “You should have seen her, Millie!”…. “You weren’t there, you didn’t see ,” he said. “ There must be something in the books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.” This is the event that changed Montags viewpoint on books
In Montag 's case, he understands that he is unhappy with the way he is living, and he begins to rethink his ways of destruction. In like manner, a literary criticist, Rafeeq McGiveron, gives a good analysis of the character of Montag when he says that Montag has a “blithely clear and pathetically blank conscience” towards burning books until he relives his childhood through walks with Clarisse (p.6). Clearly, Clarisse tugged and Montag 's heart and helped him understand the heartlessness of burning books. Most definitely, it was Montag 's hand and not his brain or mind that was the true monster. In another example, the reader sees Montag 's private life during a conversation between he and Mildred, his wife, when she says, “when can we have a fourth wall television put in? It 's only two thousand dollars” and Montag responds by saying that two thousand dollars is one-third of his yearly pay (Bradbury 33). The example presented adds more depth to the grim life of the main character because Montag is married to a woman that is selfish and has no interest for any part of Montag 's life. Similarly, because Montag is faced with unhappiness in both his professional and private life, he is quick to accept the words of Clarisse that there is a better and brighter life possible for him. Overall, Bradbury successfully acomplishes a sense of sympathy for Guy Montag by revealing the
Mahatma Gandhi once declared, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Change happens throughout the lives of everyone, and, like Ghandi, anyone can change the world by fighting for what you believe in and standing up for what is right. Similarly, in Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist, Guy Montag, continues to change as he faces more problems in his society and new ideas. Montag, originally a fireman, burned books for a living, but when he meets an eighteen year-old girl named Clarisse who fills him in on what society used to be. Clarisse further questions Montag by asking if he is really happy in this society, and at first Montag is confused why she asked this. However, when Montag thinks about the question, he feels questioning of society coming upon him naturally. Montag, the protagonist, changes as a result of three main conflicts with his dystopian society, that teach him curiosity, confidence, and courage.
She talks about how dangerous the world is and tells Montag to remain still and observe the world around him. He then becomes confused, frustrated, and overwhelmed and his belief in his profession and his society begin to fade.
Society has changed dramatically. In the book, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, not everyone is normal like they should be. People are numb to the world and to the things around them.
Guy Montag is a man that cannot think for himself and enjoys following the government’s orders. The novel introduces him with one of his thoughts, “It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed” (Bradbury 1). On his way home from work one day, Guy meets a young girl named Clarisse McClellan. She’s the only person who questions his actions and challenges him to start thinking about why he burns books. Clarisse asks Montag if he ever reads the books that he burns, Montag laughs and says, “That’s against the law!” (Bradbury 5). Montag has been so brainwashed and ignorant about burning books, but Clarisse gives him new ideas by continuing to create doubts in his mind. She talks to Montag about the firemen from the past and how they were different then they are now. Clarisse says to Montag, “Is it true that long ago
The book “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury was about a fireman name Guy Montag. Montag does the opposite from what regular fireman do. He starts fires instead of putting them out. Books in Montag's society is forbidden to read and if caught reading the book would be set on fire. Instead of reading, that society watches large amounts of television as big as the wall and listens to the radio attached to their ears. It was not normal for pedestrians to talk and have meaningful conversations until Montag met a teenager name Clarisse. Clarisse was a strange girl that opened up Montag thoughts. She asked him about his work and what made him become a fireman. One question that really got him to think was the statement “Are you happy”(Bradbury 10). Montag believed that Clarisse was odd. She wasn’t like the norm of the society. She read books, walked the city like a pedestrian and, had meaningful conversations. After that encounter with Clarisse a number of events started to happen to him; his wife Mildred tried to commit suicide with prescription pills, a woman that hid books in her home decides to burn a live with her books, and Clarisse is killed in a car accident., With all these tragic events occuring, Montag tries to find a solution to this epidemic. The society has become controlled from power, a sense of censorship. Bradbury has shown his viewpoint of society through this novel.
Montag was first shown as a person who loves to burn book but, after Montag saw the death of the lady and the books he realizes, “...There must be something in books, things we can’t, to make a woman stay in a burning house…”(Bradbury 48) the government is hiding what books are trying to show us and that is what he’s realizing. He now knows that the truth lies in the book and we’re getting false information, and that is what Bradbury is trying to show us. Montag also knows that firemen were different back then and not what the government is actually showing us. Before the death of the lady he tells Beatty, “Didn’t firemen prevent fires rather than stoke them up and get them going”(Bradbury 31) he finds out from Clarisse the truth of firemen and not what the government is telling us when Beatty reads, “...First Firemen:Benjamin Franklin”(Bradbury 32) to show that firemen were book burners since the beginning in 1790 but. In reality it was to water down
Montag is now at the point where his views are being tested and new beliefs of life are being created. “Montag had done nothing. His hand had done it all, his hand, with a brain of its own, with a conscience and a curiosity in each trembling finger, had turned thief” (35). Here Montag sees a plethora of books inside of Mrs. Blake’s house and seemingly of its own accord Montag’s hand takes a book. He has now broken a rule that everyone in Montag’s society knows, never to take or read books. Mrs. Blakes, instead of coming with the firemen out of the house decides to burn with the books. This confuses Montag and piques his curiosity to figure out what inside the book could drive someone to die with
In the book Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury they are fire fighters and they start fires instead of putting them out. 451 Is an important number because it is the number of degrees they start books on fire. All of the fireman have this engraved on there helmets. Montag and his crew go to houses and tell them that their house is going to be set on fire. Through this book Montag has a journey of growth through the book. Even though Montag changes in the book change can be a good.
The book Fahrenheit 451 is a novel about the elimination of originality and having control over one’s life. The main character Guy Montag represents the shift from conformity to individuality throughout the book when he becomes self aware and starts to think for himself through reading books. Guy’s job as a fireman was to burn down the buildings that housed books, but was curious and started to read them. A turning point for Guy was when he was caught housing books and his house was burned down. He had three options, die in the fire, be arrested, or escape. Guy chose to escape with the books and make a stand and think for himself. Fahrenheit 451
Clarisse, the young women, impacts Montag’s life and changes his perspective on the world. When Montag first met Clarisse, he noticed she did not behave like the other citizens. Clarisse does not obsess over technology. Instead, Clarisse liked to enjoy the outside world and pay attention to it. As Montag and Clarisse interact and become friends, Clarisse says something to Montag that shocks him. For the first time Montag contemplates his life and job. While in this state of shock, Clarisse tells Montag that she finds him unique because he does not ignore her. Instead he listens and comprehends what she says, "...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."(23-24). After Clarisse says this, Montag decides to do something Clarisse suggested. He stopped to feel the rain drip on his tongue, something he has never done before. Clarisse impacted Montag's life in a way that made him realize and appreciate the world around him. Until Montag met Clarisse, he never thought of the world as something to take care of and appreciate. Clarisse shaped Montag into the person he became. Other