Theme Of Change In Fahrenheit 451

Of all literary works regarding dystopian societies, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is perhaps one of the most bluntly shocking, insightful, and relatable of them. Set in a United States of the future, this novel contains a government that has banned books and a society that constantly watches television. However, Guy Montag, a fireman (one who burns books as opposed to actually putting out fires) discovers books and a spark of desire for knowledge is ignited within him. Unfortunately his boss, the belligerent Captain Beatty, catches on to his newfound thirst for literature. A man of great duplicity, Beatty sets up Montag to ultimately have his home destroyed and to be expulsed from the city. On the other hand, Beatty is a much rounder

Juan Ramon Jimenez once said, “If they give you ruled paper, write the other way”. This quote shows the challenge of authority, like Montag and his society. Just like challenging the normal, or doing the opposite of what seems to be right by “writing the other way” on a lined piece of paper, Montag chooses to challenge authority by reading, remembering, and comprehending books, instead of burning them. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury takes place in a dystopian society in the twenty-fourth century and the main character is Guy Montag. He is a fireman whose job is to burn books and start fires instead of putting them out. Moreover, he lives in a society which just listens to government propaganda and follows whatever they are told; the citizens do not think deeply about aspects in life but rather focus on mind-numbing activities, that does not take any deep thought process. Books are banned but Montag takes the risk to start to read books, hoping they will bring him happiness in the dark world he lives in. In his journey he has three mentors who help him, Clarisse, Faber, and Granger. The protagonist, Guy Montag, changes as a result of the conflict within his dystopian society and this change connects to the novel’s theme of government censorship over its citizens.

In Ray Braudbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag undergoes major changes because of the influence of other intellects and events; in effect this caused him to ruminate about events that were considered “normal”. Montag’s occupation is firefighting, however he is not the traditional version of a fire fighter. Montag does not put out fire, but rather helps ignite them. This is considered ordinary within his society because they are not allowed to read books or have knowledge previous to this era. This law is enforced with such intensity because the government fears that knowledge in one’s mind will contribute to overthrowing whoever is in control or has the most power within the society. However this does not stop a few individuals (including Montag) to pose threats to the government by reading and by posing questions.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, is set in a dystopian society. The government’s main belief is happiness is the result of everyone being equal. The government believes that certain books should be forbidden because those books bring false, individual ideas, which make people unhappy. Guy Montag is just like every other fireman: he does not read the books, just burns them. Then one day, he meets Clarisse, a young girl, that challenges his viewpoint of life. After several conversations with her, he begins to question the government’s ideals. He starts stealing and reading the forbidden books, and he begins to understand the purpose of those books. Montag then meets up with an old friend, and they make plans to start a revolution by

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

Change is inescapable; it is the only consistent factor in any society, collective, or individual. Since change is constant, then why are societies usually so fixed on attempting to be rigid in their culture? In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury uses the culture surrounding Montag to illustrate the evolution of his moral belief system in regards to knowledge.

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.

Can it be possible for people to change how they see and interpret the world? In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Montag leaves his past, ultimately changing the way he thinks. In the passage Montag has just escaped the Hound as well as his previous life, and is being carried away by the river into the forest while thinking about his future. The revelation in this passage is a culmination of all the knowledge that Montag acquires throughout the book. Ray Bradbury conveys to the reader how finally leaving his old world has completed the change inside of Montag through the use of metaphors and repetition.

Montag is very confused with everything that is happening. Throughout this part, Guy Montag transforms from a person who enjoys burning books and living in the society that he lives in to starting to question the reason why he is doing those things. He does not know if he is happy with his life. In one night, he met a 17 year old girl who questions his ideas and his wife almost overdosed. In the beginning, you can see that he enjoys burning books and being a fireman: "It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history" (1). A quote where you can see Guy is confused is shown here: "I don't know anything anymore" (15). Guy feels like he is in a deep abyss of nothing. Before his encounter with Clarisse, the 17 year old girl, Guy thought he was happy and that his wife Mildred was also happy. Clarisse tries to make Guy think about his job, life, and everything in general. This is shown here, where Clarisse asks Guy if it is true that firemen used to put out fires instead of starting them: "Is it true that long ago

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.

Fahrenheit 451 is one of the most successful pieces of literacy today, the novel is prosperous recognized around the globe and received many awards such as, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature, Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, Retro Hugo Award, Commonwealth Club of California just to name a few. What made this novel so successful was not only the plot of the story but also the controversy behind Fahrenheit 451. The use of symbolism in the novel was interpreted by so many people and received positive and negative reviews from its readers. I will be discussing one symbol “fire” and the connection with other symbols within the story such as hearth, salamander and the phoenix which all represent the development of the protagonist of the story, a firefighter named Montag, and the moral of the story the author wants to convey.

“And then he was a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling gibbering mannikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on him” (Bradbury 113). This first quote is one of many quotes from the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury that exhibits how Guy Montag the main character has changed throughout the whole book. With the help of some friends he meets along the way, his beliefs about books and his life working as a fireman change drastically.

Fahrenheit 451 Essay The book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, takes place in dystopian society where books are outlawed and firemen start fires instead of stopping them. The main character of this book is a guy Montag; he is a fireman and enjoys burning books. However, one night he meets a strange girl who makes him begin to question everything he thought was right. He begins to risk it all by stealing books and reading them to learn what they have inside of them. This will lead to major turning points for him in his life.

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.

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.