In Fahrenheit 451, Montag’s interactions with his career as a fireman, his conversation about books with Clarisse, and his past when meeting Faber cause his growth as a character and helps develop the theme that uncensored knowledge is the only way to overcome an oppressive government. While Montag’s occupation as a fireman is initially viewed as an honorable job, as Montag begins to read books. he discovers that books, and by extension, knowledge, can be powerful. In this dystopian society, the government demands the firemen to burn books because the government believes that knowledge can spark rebellions and an upheaval of the government. Being a fireman makes Montag burns books unaware of the true power and knowledge that books contain. …show more content…
Clarisse, like Montag, reads books and is interested in odd activities like watching the sunset while most of the citizens spend countless hours watching television. Montag is attracted to Clarisse’s personality because she shows him that not everyone in this society is like his wife, Mildred, who spends almost the whole day watching pointless television shows on her parlour walls. Therefore, he values Clarisse’s opinion and insight when she asks him, “Is it true that long local firemen put fires out instead of going to start them? “No. Houses have always been fireproof, take my word for it” (Bradbury 6). Clarisse believes that society used to be different a long time ago, but the government has tried to hide the past from its citizens. Moreover, she thinks that books are censored because the ideas contained in those books can convince people not to trust the government. Due to Clarisse’s conversations, Montage begins to question the world around him and think for himself, a positive change in his character. In turn, this advances the idea that the critical analysis and self-thinking that books encourage, as well as the knowledge they contain, is a serious threat to an …show more content…
They sit together for an hour, at the park when Montag sees Faber put something in his jacket. During his conversation with Montag he says, “I don't talk things, sir, said Faber. I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I’m alive” (Bradbury 70). This incident made such an impact on Montag because he is lonely and isolated in his world. He does not have a loving, warm relationship with his wife. Until Clarisse, Montag has no one with whom to share his thoughts and concerns with. Since Faber offered him that, he goes to Faber’s house when he is under so much stress about what to do with the books. Montag’s interactions with outside forces such as his job, his conversation with Clarisse, and his past encounter with Faber contribute to his change for the better and the worse and aid in developing the theme that uncensored knowledge is stronger than an oppressive
Knowledge can be defined as the acquaintance with facts, truths, and awareness. Inquiry is the act of questioning. In the dystopian world of Fahrenheit 451, there is a prominent lack of both knowledge and inquiry. Meaning, society, happiness, media, and entertainment all infer the absence of thinking and questioning in the book.
Faber is an English professor who encourages Montag to start reading books. Faber mention “’Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality’” (pg 83). Faber tells Montag that books are important because they have quality. He helps Montag to read and to understand why books are important. Also, Faber believe ‘”we do need knowledge… The books are to remind us what asses and fools we are’” (pg 86). Through Faber’s suggestions
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.
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.
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them” -Ray Bradbury. In the past there were events that affected book writers. People will get together to burn books because they thought it was inappropriate or they were against their literature. Montag is a fireman in a futuristic society who would start fires instead of put them out. After he meets Clarisse a young girl different from all teenagers in that society Montag will find himself doing things he never did before. In Fahrenheit 451 Montag will have a huge change in his life that will make
Montag forms a connection with anyone who receptive to true friendship. Professor Faber, a former English professor, confesses that the current state of society, is due to the cowardice. Faber still has some rare books but considers that could put him in danger. “Mr. Montag, you are looking at a coward. I saw the way things were going, a long time back.” (Bradbury, 78). Captain Beatty, chief of the firemen hates books, but previously had a passion for them. “Once, books appealed to a few people, here, there, everywhere. They could afford to be different. The world was roomy. But then the world got full of eyes and elbows and mouths.” (Bradbury, 51) Many tones of irony are set throughout Fahrenheit 451. An example of ironic style is where Montag is introduced as a fireman. As the reader, we naturally think of firemen putting out fires, however Bradbury generates Montag as a fireman who starts fires. As the novel goes on, we see that several characters go against the law. Without books, distinctiveness is lost in the characters. This happens to be relevant to today’s society because books are becoming less popular, while technology is taking over. Books can be used as a helping tool, however our society today has become very lazy. Through over usage of technology it is easy to forget the true value that books
In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by author Ray Bradbury we are taken into a place of the future where books have become outlawed, technology is at its prime, life is fast, and human interaction is scarce. The novel is seen through the eyes of middle aged man Guy Montag. A firefighter, Ray Bradbury portrays the common firefighter as a personal who creates the fire rather than extinguishing them in order to accomplish the complete annihilation of books. Throughout the book we get to understand that Montag is a fire hungry man that takes pleasure in the destruction of books. It’s not until interacting with three individuals that open Montag’s eyes helping him realize the errors of his ways. Leading Montag to change his opinion about books, and
He wants to help as much as he can now before much worse will happen. Faber could have helped save books but he did not. Which makes him fit in with the rest of society. He regrets it and now since he met Montag he can try to help. In the novel it states, “Mr.Montag, you are looking at a coward. I saw the way things were going, a long time back. I said nothing. I’m one of the innocents who could have spoken up and out when no one would listen to the ‘guilty,’ but I did not speak and thus became guilty of myself.”(Bradbury 78). Faber regretted that he decided not to help. Instead he wanted to seem innocent and fit in with the rest of society just like many others. Montag believed that he could help because he truly saw a meaning behind it. When you help and you do not succeed you can at least feel as if you tried helping such as in the following example of what Faber was explaining. It proves this in the novel, “Don’t ask for guarantees. And don’t look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.” (Bradbury 82). Faber was trying to explain how he could not feel this because he would regret never helping. Montag could use this reference because he was trying to truly
Faber, a retired english professor, that Montag had met a year before at a park, begins mentoring him to fix the complications with the society because of Faber's fears of rebelling himself. Faber also understood how awful the world had become to get to the point of hiding people from having a normal sustainable life. Faber introduces Montag access to books, so that he can start to gain knowledge himself. He starts to learn from Faber’s false moves and understand the importance of having books and reading. “Faber held his hand over his left coat pocket and spoke these words gently, and Montag knew if he reached out, he might pull a book of poetry from the man’s coat. But he did not reach out. His hands stayed on his knees, numbed
One of the most significant heroic actions taken in this novel is when Montag begins saving books. In Montag’s society, books are banned for all people for all purposes. The firemen believe that books provide ideas and promote knowledge which serves as a threat to the government. Ultimately, the goal of the firemen is to destroy the books to create a society without conflict. Montag stores the books inside his home without his wife, Mildred, knowing. With Professor Faber’s influence, he begins to read and discover the truth about many things. Although reading is dangerous, Montag chooses to defy the government regardless of all consequences he might face. The books expose the truth which later differentiate Montag from the rest of society. Montag becomes a more intellectual thinker that realizes he cannot continue agreeing with what he knows is wrong.
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
Guy Montag is the protagonist and central character of the book, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury that transforms from a conformist in a totalitarian society to rebuilding a society that reads books. Montag fits the cliché description of a good-looking male with “black hair, black brows…fiery face, and…blue-steel shaved but unshaved look.” (Bradbury, 33) For the past eight years he has burned books. He is a 3rd generation firefighter, who in the beginning of the story, loves his job, which consists of burning the homes of people who perform criminal acts of reading and keeping books in their homes. By understanding Montag’s relationships, discontentment, and future, one can begin to understand the complexities of Guy Montag.
In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Fireman had the most power, their job was to burn books. In the beginning of the novel Montag was a normal fireman. Fireman would go to houses and burn all the books they could find. This was because they thought that the books were offensive. Montag was told that books were offensive, but he never read any himself.
In the novel, firemen in the society burn books to keep the population ignorant. Without a doubt, the characterizations of Guy Montag, Mildred Montag and Clarisse McClellan show that ignorance can often lead to disastrous acts. Without reservation, ignorance plays a big role in harmful activities which is shown through Clarisse’s fear of her peers in the novel. To sum up, Clarisse is afraid of people her own age because they are violent. Their violence is a result of self-ignorance and shows that violence is prevalent in their world.
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.