The Hero In: Fahrenheit 451 In Fahrenheit 451, a world unfolds where books are condemned, free thought suppressed, and intellectual pursuits punished. Within this oppressive society, the central protagonist, Guy Montag, emerges as an unexpected hero. While initially embodying the very ideals that sustain the oppressive regime, Montag's transformation into a symbol of resistance underscores his heroic journey. Through a deeper exploration of his character, his quest for knowledge, and his daring defiance of authority, it becomes evident that Guy Montag stands as the true hero of Fahrenheit 451. Guy Montag, initially a mere cog in the oppressive machinery of book burning, experiences a profound transformation that sets him on the path to heroism. …show more content…
As we can see in this evidence from the text, "He felt his body divide itself into a hotness and a coldness, a softness and a hardness, a trembling and a not trembling, the two halves grinding one upon the other." Montag began to feel something. I believe that due to the claims in the text about Montag, he wasn’t really a person who felt very many feelings, however he sure did feel more than the others a part of his society. Montag's heroism is further illuminated by his growing curiosity and insatiable thirst for knowledge. In a society that fears the power of ideas, Montag secretly collects books, risking his safety to preserve the wisdom contained within those forbidden pages. He hides them in his air vent, this event is foreshadowed numerous times throughout the novel. According to Farenheit 451, "There must be something in 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." As we can see here, Montag truly does believe that there is some sort of significance to books, and he risks everything to …show more content…
I talk about the meaning of things." Montag realizes in this part of the novel that he has discovered things that most of the society around him couldn’t even dream of. He didn’t need to rely on materialistic things, he always thought them to be insignificant, however he has now unveiled the true meaning of books. He’s taken off the curtain and never wants to put it back on. This truth is what he lives for, he lives and breathes to fix the wrong done by the oppressive fascist government. Montag's hero's journey reaches its climax as he confronts the consequences of his actions. His willingness to face the loss of his home and the threat to his life underscores his commitment to a higher cause, restoring the intellectual freedom in a society plagued by censorship. Montag's ideology is presented in his belief, "Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes!" Montag is now extremely powerful, not with the meaningless power that’s fueled their society for however long people have been living in the
In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Guy Montag is a very interesting and unusual character. Not only is Montag a curious character, the story itself is also far from traditional. While the storyline of the novel does follow the typical Hero’s Journey path, Montag himself does not possess the qualities and characteristics of a hero. The contrast between the way the story is a monomyth, while Montag is not, can be seen throughout the book and makes for a captivating, sometimes confusing read.
The flash of rusty red and yellow smoke glow above the crackle of fresh books being burned. A foggy night is lit up with a house fire. Behind a helmet labeled 451 is a man in his 30's smiling from ear to ear, Guy Montag. Guy Montag, the protagonist in Fahrenheit 451. Guy is a typical fireman who loves the sight of fire and smell of burning books.
The main theme throughout this novel is, society and survival. The society has a law against reading books and Montag knows of this law before he ever starts taking books for himself. “‘That's against the law!”’(5). Later on is the novel Montag is given a flame thrower and forced to burn his own home. This makes him very angry and things get out of hand.
When Montag is on a mission and burning books, those books start falling into his hands. Montag's journey toward a new beginning is marked by a turning point when he catches a book on a mission. His, “hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion. with a conscience and a curiosity in each trembling finger, had turned thief” (Bradbury 34). This was just the start of Montag’s journey.
Guy Montag has a few influences, personal experiences, and event that effect the way he changes throughout the novel Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury. Montag’s personal experiences especially affected the way he thought of things and also the way he acted. He lives in a society where books are banned, burned, and illegal to use, Montag enjoys burning the books as a fireman until he makes an encounter with a reenager named Clairesse. Guy Montag makes a total transformation as the main character of this novel because of his personal experiences, the major events, and the influential characters.
Guy Montag is an ever evolving character in Fahrenheit 451. Montag is a very complex character who goes through many different changes throughout the story. According to Student’s Encyclopedia of American Characters, “Montag is a complex character who undergoes significant changes during the course of the novel” (Students’ Encyclopedia of American Characters 1). This proves that Montag is a dynamic character who goes through many different challenges and changes in this book. At the beginning of the book, Montag just lives his normal life like he has for many years before.
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
Montag realizes that there is more to the world than anyone talks about or knows. After feeling more and more unsettled by this, Guy gets in touch with a strange man he met at a park named Faber. When Guy is discussing how he feels to Faber, Faber tells him that “[books] are the pores in the face of life… if you're not driving 100 miles per hour, you're playing some game” (79). From this, Guy finally faces the reality that he has been living an incomplete life. Faber helps him realize that burning books isn't making people happier, but diminishing the quality of life in the world. It is putting a hole in people's lives that cannot be replaced. Furthermore, Montag recognizes that everything he does is rushed. He has zero time to his own thoughts and instead his thoughts are dictated through technology. Faber's wisdom is key in identifying the theme that life without time to think is not a life worth living because from Faber’s wisdom, Montag realizes his discontent with his thoughtless
In the novel fahrenheit 451,Guy Montag is a firefighter whose day to day is influenced by other people's opinions.The opinion of Clarisse drove him to question his own happiness.Captain Beatty who tries to influence him to not read books and show the uselessness of books.And professor Faber who shows guy the importance and the blandness of the world without them.
Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of Guy Montag, a weary fireman who was initially satisfied with blindly following his orders to
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.
Ray Bradbury begins his introduction of Guy Montag as an average unenlightened citizen in the novel Fahrenheit 451, however throughout the novel Bradbury develops, and transforms, Montag into a new man. Montag begins to question his life, intelligence, and morals after meeting a young woman named Clarisse, she thinks about why things happen as opposed to how things happen, her mentality begins to rub off on Montag out setting his transformation. As Montag realizes he is living a false life, he begins to test the law, involving himself in crime making him a criminal. Luckily he is able to escape the punishment of the crimes committed, allowing the rebirth of Montag into an intellectual rebel. Bradbury expresses the demolishing intelligence of current and future generations throughout the novel by giving a glimpse into Montag’s world.
The character Guy Montag changes tremendously during Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. There are many reasons for this change. Two of the major ones being: The fellow characters in the book, and the void in his life that he couldn't figure out how to fill. These play a big role in the change of Montag. In this essay I will be discussing who Montag is at the start of the novel, the characters that most shaped his transformation, and finally, how his beliefs and actions have changed at the end of the novel.
At the beginning of the novel, Montag develops a friendship with his 17 year old neighbor, Clarisse McClellan, whose broad outlook and inquisitive personality prompt Montag to contemplate his life. Soon, he realizes he is unhappy and no longer loves his wife, Mildred. Unfulfilled by his occupation and personal life, Montag begins to question the ways of the world. Specifically, Montag wonders why books are considered dangerous and caustic to the society, but why some people are so loyal to them. What potential lies in 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!