Guy Montag, the main character in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, goes through a huge change in his life. He changes from a typical fireman who follows the laws, into a person who challenges the law. Montag wakes up from being numbed and realizes that he is unhappy. Montag 's wife, "Mildred", who is addicted to Television and radio, did not care about Montag 's feelings. However; Clarisse and Faber played a big role in Montag 's life. Montag is a metaphor for a numbed society and his courage is demonstrated as he wakes up and evolves into his real human self throughout the book. Montag 's first awakening starts when he meets Clarisse,. A 17 year old girl, who liked to smell things and look at things, and sometimes stay up all night …show more content…
Faber changed Montag from being a confused man, to an aware, thinking and analyzing person that is deferent from the society he lives in. after killing Beatty, the chief fireman at the station who has read many books and memorized most of them. Montag seeks Faber 's help again, he was confused did not know where to do to escape from the mechanical hound that was running after him. Faber tells Montag to go to the forest, where Montag rested and thought about what happened and whether he did the right thing or not. At the forest, Montag meets a group of men that was lead by Granger; an author who is the leader of a group that hopes to re-populate the world with books. Another incident that stayed in Montag 's mind is the old women who set her self and her books on fire. However, Montag tried stopping her by telling her that the books were not worth her life. Before she burned herself, Montag took one of her books and kept it. At that time Montag did not think about what did the old lady burned herself with the books, he did not think about it might be the value and morals that books hold to teach is. The old lady knew the importance of these books and what do they have, so she preferred to burn herself with them, and not watch the firemen burn them, who do not even know the importance of books. But they do know that books are unreal and there is so importance of them, plus they are against the law! The
The second stage of transformation occurs when Montag spreads his flame to Faber. Faber is like a dry log sitting in the hearth. Montag is the match to release Faber’s energy and spread the heat. When Faber does not agree to join the movement, “His (Montag’s) hands, by themselves, like two men working together, began to rip the pages from the book. The hands tore the flyleaf and then the first and then the second page.” (84) Ripping these pages shows his decision to strengthen a movement or destroy society. He rips pages out of the Bible because he knows it will earn Faber’s attention and effort. After he agrees, Montag and Faber plan to print books and implant them in firemen’s houses. By joining with Faber, Montag turns his feelings of being lost and ignorant into actions to change society. He is becoming a more independent character as the effects of the dystopia disintegrate and rush away from him like smoke. As the flames grow, Beatty, the captain of Montag’s fire station, is water. Beatty knows what Montag is doing. Montag counters this resistance as he says, “You always said, don't face a problem, burn it. Well, now I've done both. Good-bye, Captain.” (115) Montag means that Beatty never actually solved problems, he just burns them and hopes they go away, so he kills his captain with the wrath of his flamethrower. These actions show Montag’s determination to do what is right. By this stage, Montag has changed from a
Montag grew closer to Clarisse each time they talked, and he enjoyed that. So this shows that Montag, when he talks to Clarisse, gets to be himself and become independent and has to think for himself instead of everyone else thinking for him.
He is curious and fearless in his quest for knowledge. Otherwise, Montag would have never taken such a big risk in order to find out if poems stir up something inside of a neighbor. Montag is one of the few people in society that presents any sort of human emotion. Shocked was the only way to describe him after hearing of Clarisse’s death, whereas Mildred refused to talk about dead people. Gazing at the woman who burned himself, Montag was horrified whereas the other fireman continued merrily. An ability to think for himself was also prevalent in his personality. Considering the amount of influence the media plays on F.451’s society, Montag could have just as easily been wrapped up in the mob mentality of the evil in literature. Instead, he followed his heart, which constantly told him what he was doing was wrong. It allowed him to understand the wrong in burning books, ultimately aiding him to escape.
Firstly, Montag faces the conflict of having to burn down a house with a woman in it, which led him to thinking that something important may be hidden within the books that could be different from what he has learning in this new version of society; Montag becomes more curious through this event and starts to wonder. Eventually, the protagonist is so deeply engrossed in his curiosity that “his hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion, with an insanity of mindlessness to his chest” (Bradbury 34). This quote illustrates
Montag at the beginning of the book is a person that you could love and hate. Montag was a person who loved his job as a firefighter. To Montag he got pleasure out of burning the books. One of Montag's favorite things from burning the books was he would put a marshmallow and put it on a stick and roast it.When Montag's done and goes home he goes to bed with a smile on his face. Then everything changes once he meets Clarisse.
In the novel, Montag eventually realizes the importance of rebelling against his employer and society. Montag later recognizes the significance of books and information and knows that the society he lives in is not ideal. Montag begins to wonder if books actually do have meaning and are important to civilization itself. Montag first rebels against his employer early in the novel by stealing a book from a house that had been called in, yet when asked to turn that book in, he had planned on lying to his boss and turning in a “substitute” (Bradbury 72). This early sign of civil disobedience hints toward bigger acts of rebellion and is just the beginning of what Montag, unknowingly, has started. This simple act of rebellion leads Beatty to believe that Montag has stashed away a full library of books. As the novel progresses and Montag meets Faber, Guy Montag recognizes even more the importance of rebellion. Montag says to Faber, “Plant the books, turn in an alarm, and see the fireman’s houses burn” (Bradbury 82). This idea itself is an act of rebellion by Montag to try and
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
Subsequently, Faber monumentally influenced Montag and his decisions he made throughout the novel. Faber was a retired English professor and he is the second mentor that Montag comes across. He was one of the few people who is not like everyone else because he, just as Clarisse, are intellectual beings. Faber met Montag in a park. A short discussion revolving around small-talk like the weather quickly escalates to a deeper topic and Montag and faber soon find themselves discussing Faber’s past and the history of books. They talk for hours and their conversation ultimately ends with Faber leaving Montag his contact card and Guy soon contacts him when he discovers his love for books. In Faber and Montag’s conversation, Faber says, “Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality.” (83). The significance of Faber
Over the next several weeks, Clarisse and Montag develop a friendly relationship. They talk about ideas and thoughts in a way that no one in this society seems to do anymore. Because of Clarisse's influence, Montag grows more concerned about his own life. Then one day, Clarisse disappears and Montag is troubled. Work troubles him even more, for he must participate in burning an old woman's home. Refusing to leave her books and her belongings, she lights her own fire and stays inside, dying a martyr. Montag is moved by the woman's bravery and sees it as a symbol of what is wrong with society. Almost in protest, he steals a book from the woman's house.
After using Clarisse to begin Montag’s transformation, Bradbury uses Professor Faber to further develop Montag’s change into individuality. Montag met Faber in a park years before and remembers him when he begins to read the books he has been stealing from the fires. He was an English professor. Montag meets with Faber and agrees to plant books in the homes of firemen so that the firemen will get arrested and there will be no one to enforce the anti-book laws. Faber gives Montag a radio device that fits in his ear and looks like a seashell, the common radio every person has. As Montag leaves, he says, “I’m not thinking. I’m just doing like I’m told, like always. You said get the money and I got it. I didn’t really think of it myself. When do I start working things out on my own?” Faber replies that Montag has already “taken the next step.” Not only is he questioning and enduring by others’ answers, he wants to compose his own ideas and observations.
In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Guy Montag,experiences a personal journey of loss, love, and hope. He changes from a ruthless and fierce fireman who burns books because it his job and he is dedicated to someone who loves and admires books and wants to learn from them. He would not have made it on this journey if it were not for the encounters he had with other people. Some of these encounters were positive, some negative, but all helped Guy become a stronger person. These encounters influenced and shaped Guy Montag’s thoughts and decisions.
In the beginning of Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is portrayed as a happy fireman who enjoys his job burning books. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury writes, “While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning. Montag grinned with the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame. Later going to sleep, he would feel the fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went went away, that smile, it never ever went away, as long as he remembered” (4). This demonstrates that Guy Montag is well adjusted with his life and is happy to the point that he is always smiling. However his life begins to change after his he meets a girl named Clarisse. Clarisse is a seventeen year old old that lives next door to Montag. She is often curious about life and questions those around her. Clarisse question Montag true intentions in life; This leaves montag left standing, questioning if he himself is truly happy. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury writes, “ He felt his smile slide away melt, fold over and down on itself like a tallow skin, like the stuff of a fantastic lande burnin too long and now collapsing and now blown out” (7). Montag is beginning to realise that he never was truly happy. Distractions in his life made him unable to realse his true feelings.
Displayed in the quote, "Beatty flopped over and over, and at last twisted in on himself like a charred wax doll and lay silent. The other two firemen did not move. Montag kept his sickness down long enough to aim the flame thrower. 'Turn around!'" (Bradbury 113), Montag kills Beatty. This means that his ideas about changing the society he lives in caused him to carry out the action of even going to the extent of killing a person he used to call a friend, in an attempt to make his ideas come to life. Also, the other characters in the story have a huge impact on how Montag's actions and ideas are created. As Montag's thoughts change, the other characters thoughts on Montag change as well. Mildred in the beginning of the story thought that Montag was the perfect husband in her eyes. "Mildred's mouth twitched. 'See what you're doing? You'll ruin us! Who's more important, me or that Bible?'" (Bradbury 72). She soon becomes infuriated with Montag and his needs to change things that, to her, will change her life for the worst. Another example could be Faber, the old English professor Montag met before the story started. When they meet up again for the first time in the story, Faber is cautious and afraid of him because he thinks Montag is a fireman who will burn him and all of his precious belongings because Montag knows he has books because of Faber's recent career. However, Faber soon finds out that Montag has changed, and
The people Montag meets, his personal experiences he has with life, and the events that he goes through, cause him to develop an overwhelming sense of determination to change the morals of the society. Thus, Throughout the novel, Fahrenheit 451, Montag changes as a result of the influence others have on him, his personal experiences in life, and major events in the novel. Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, demonstrates that even in a society where certain behaviors are accepted and encouraged, there will always be people, who will stand up for what they believe is right, and will try to change others around them. Fahrenheit 451, is a novel that shows the struggle of an individual, who was hated upon and almost killed for doing what he believed was moral and correct, and in the process, transforming into that of one which was determined to permanently alter his life for good, along with attempting to have a lasting impact on the other individuals, that were residents of the corrupt society, which he once was apart
Being his new neighbor Clarisse engages in a conversation with Montag. In this conversation Montag notices how she’s full of life and so different from