John Koenig's Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows

Throughout the novel books evolving in the beginning. Montag burns the books and is trying to prevent the usage of books. Towards the middle of the book we find out montag is hiding books, and his wife points out that it's a huge risk. “He might come burn the house and the ‘family”’ (Bradbury 2.25). This is showing bravery because he is risking the books and his wife to save the books. It's dangerous because he's threatening to burn his own house down.

What was Montag thinking, reading books? How could he read books when his his whole life involved burning books? Montag, the fireman was good at his job, not only was he good but he was outstanding. He never disobeyed his orders he just did what he was told, he was like every other fireman. Montag started reading, he told no one because it was against the law, why would he? It wasn't smart, he couldn't stop reading it was a habit he saw that there were people in those books with problems and he was intrigued by that. The thought of Montag got more open and read these books was dangerous but it was also against the law.

Montag's possession of the Bible is a pivotal moment in his journey towards enlightenment. As a fireman whose job is to burn books, Montag is initially ignorant of the knowledge and ideas contained within them. However, when he encounters an old woman who chooses to burn alive rather than part with her books, Montag begins to question the society that views books as dangerous. It is the possession of the Bible, however, that truly sparks Montag's curiosity and leads him to seek knowledge and understanding. The Bible serves as a symbol of rebellion and enlightenment for Montag, inspiring him to question the oppressive regime and seek truth.

Montag had no idea why books were so important to people until something made him reconsider the way he did everything. Montag pondered, “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,” (Bradbury 48). While at the Martyr’s house, Montag stole a book just to see why they were such a disgrace to his society. Since he didn’t really understand, Montag went to get help from someone who knew books more than anyone else, Faber.

Montag's desire to acquire knowledge through books is dealt with by the rulers is that Montag’s boss, Beatty, says it was normal for a fireman to go through these phases of fascination of what books have to offer. Beatty tells Montag,” What traitors books can be! You think they’re backing you up, and then they turn on you. Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives.” But, Beatty is missing the point on how valuable books can be. So Beatty tells Montag to read through all of the books Montag has stashed to see if the books contain anything worthwhile, then the next day turn them in to be burned.

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

This change is dangerous for Montag, because being a fireman got him closer to books. Books were illegal, possessing them, reading them, even remembering them made other people think they were crazy. The closer he got to books, the more curious he became of them. Two things pushed him over the edge, deaths, the death of Clarisse and a random old woman who burned in her home with her books. This strengthened his curiosity and he started to steal books from the houses he burned.

Each fireman has “black hair, black brows, a fiery face and a blue-steel shaved but unshaved look,” which makes Montag realize how his society is so censored(33). The firefighters and Montag burn books and are content doing so, but between each fire Montag’s interaction with McClellan creates an internal change for Montag. He smuggles a book from a house fire after catching a glimpse of some words and becoming even more curious. Because the society has censored the reading of books from society Montag’s physical action is extremely risky. The rule of society are broken when Montag takes the book and expresses his interest in it by reading. Such restrained societal rules push Montag to read and discover a plethora of knowledge in each book. Montag believes that if one is willing to die for books, then a greater meaning lies within. Thus, he strives even more to understand why the society is conformed and censored and wants to earn the knowledge that the society has censored out for so many years prior, and these actions define him as a deviant, rebellious protagonist toward

Have you ever passed a car on the road and wondered where the people in it were going? Did you wonder if they were happy or sad or in love or mourning? In that moment you stepped outside of your own life and realized that the person or people in that car had a life just like your own and they were not simply just a car on the road. Although we most often go about our days thinking “I, me, mine”, actualizing that everyone else you pass in your life has a life just as crazy and elaborate as your own creates a deeper understanding for others and a better life for yourself.

Writing this novel Bradbury has let other readers feel close to him allowing them to feel like they can relate to him through his stories as well as Montag. Bradbury and Montag relate because they know what is expected of them to succeed and satisfy themselves. Montag holds the responsibility as being a fireman and burning books instead he keeps them other characters in the story can relate who have escaped the society and they will also help him to do the same. They both feel they need to catch up on their past and make the most of their life while they have it. “ Montag opines on several occasions throughout the novel that he needs to catch up with the memories of the past.” They both love books and would

On page fortyseven of Fahrenheit 451 Montag, describes to Millie, his wife about a traumatizing experience he had that night on a firecall, “We burned a thousand books, we burned a woman.” This is the first experience that has really opened Montag's eyes. A woman took her life for her sacred pieces of literature. This makes Montag intrigued to find out what was hiding inside those books and why people would risk their lives for it . He wanted more than ever to read, but he knew it was against the law. He was willing to take a chance and grabbed a book from the fire to take home and read for himself. As Montag questions his society's way of burning books and houses, he realizes that it is a reason to rebel: ‘I've tried to imagine,’ said Montag, ‘just how it would feel. I mean, to have firemen burn our houses and our books.” Montag knows people

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.

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!

In the beginning of the book Ray Bradbury shows how Montog reacts to fire when he is ignorant. Montag did not think about what he was doing while he burned books because he had not began reading books himself. “Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame. He knew that when he returned to the firehouse, he might wink at himself, a minstrel man, burnt corked, in the mirror.(4)” This quote shows Montag's outlook on fire before he began reading books himself. Montag was a complex character in Fahrenheit 451. His views constantly change as the story progresses. In the end of the book, Bradbury showed him and his reactions to fire where, after his ignorance had been lifted. He had realized that it could do more than cause destruction and take away pieces of art away, but that it could help bring people together. Bradbury shows this when montag finds people come together around fire rather than be pulled apart because of it: “It was not only the fire that was different. It was the silence that was concerned with all of the world.(146)” Montag looked at the fire at the end of the book and felt happy and at peace with the world. He did not feel anger or a resistance to the fire, but he was one with it and was no longer ignorant to how special books

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