Fahrenheit 451's Guy Montag: a Hero or a Villain?

Thesis: Despite the use of explicit language in Fahrenheit 451, it should be studies in schools for it conveys an important message of thinking for yourself and places emphasis on the value of written text and literature as a whole.

Throughout the book, ¨Fahrenheit 451¨ by Ray Bradbury, Montag has changed his perspective on books. From burning books to saving and memorizing books. This had been the help of Clarisse. She has done this by leading Montag throughout the story with little hints. From the beginning of the story, Clarisse asked Montag, “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”

Montag, brought up to burn books, is confused at his actions. As his mind unravels he begins to think for himself after meeting Faber, he constantly questions how he “could have been so blind” and “how it got to this.” He thinks back to burning books and thinks “my hands did the actions, mindlessly” montag feels anger toward his ignorance, maybe he could have done things different. Guy pity’s himself and his wife, mildred, not because he is sad, because he wish things could have been different for them. Mostly, is enraged by the ignorance and helplessness of the people around himself, and is the cause of most of his confusion.

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!

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.

Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 presents readers with multiple themes. In the fictional society of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, books are banned and firemen create fires instead of putting them out. Bradbury portrays the society as dystopian. Bradbury crafted the novel to be interpreted intellectually. The characters claim to be happy. However, the reader can conclude otherwise. Bradbury creates a question for the reader to answer: Is ignorance bliss or does the ability to think for oneself create happiness? Bradbury shows the importance of self-reflection, happiness and the ability to think for oneself as well as isolation due to technology, and the importance of nature and animals. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury conveys the stories’ themes through characterization and symbols.

In a conversation with his wife, he said, " ‘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 51). By saying this, he is showing that the old woman really got to him. The woman challenged his viewpoint of books by staying in her house because she believed the books were more valuable than her own life. After witnessing this, Montag begins to steal and read the books that he is supposed to burn, and starts to understand their purpose. The old woman’s actions challenged his viewpoint which started his character change. Ultimately, through the first part of this novel, Guy Montag is depicted as a law-abiding citizen but later starts to change when an old woman challenges his viewpoint of books.

Fahrenheit 451 utilizes indirect characterization to project an image of a dystopian future ravaged by war and without freedom of thought. This is evident in the fact that

They had a system and it worked for the most part. There were no books allowed anywhere so that no one could think. There were people called firemen and if they got a call saying there were books hidden somewhere they would head over and burn the books and/or the house the books were located in. Guy Montag was one of these firemen who loved their job but started questioning his belief in the practice. There were many actions and thoughts that had caused him to change his mindset of burning all the books to wanting to have a future with books, a future where people could think freely and not end up the same as everyone else. One of these actions was when he met a 17-year-old girl named Clarisse and she told him about the past when everyone could

In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag takes a stand expressing the importance of books to society through irony. During the story Montag turns against his duties as a fireman in order to

He was just like everybody else, thought that burning down houses was normal and that reading books was not okay and that they were useless. On page 1, he says “It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see thing blackened and changed” (Bradbury). Montag’s mindset is set up like a firefighter from his time, they all burn down houses and enjoy watching them burn along with the rest of society and that most definitely shows he just goes with the crowd. Guy Montag starts changing his perspective on life and society when he meets Clarisse and she question many things.

In the present, firemen are supposed to put out fires and prevent them from causing harm. In a futuristic world, the firemen are supposed to create fires and burn books, which are perceived as terrible and unnecessary. Fireman Guy Montag believes this until he witnesses an innocent woman’s suicide in protest in order to keep her books, and his opinion entirely changes. He sees that books aren’t that bad and he even steals a few to read; unfortunately, Montag has to keep this a secret from his fellow firemen, or they will burn down his house and his books. In the futuristic novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the firefighter realizes that society, which is dependent on technology, is incorrect, and that books are actually important sources of information.

The first character in the novel Fahrenheit 451 who influences Guy Montag is seventeen year-old Clarisse McClellan. The first time Guy and Clarisse cross paths occurs when Guy is walking home from work close to midnight. They meet on an empty sidewalk and quickly begin conversation. As they continue talking, Guy notices that Clarisse is not an average teenager because of the deep questions and thoughts she has. Clarisse questions Guy’s contentment and makes him realize the absence of love and pleasure in his life. Clarisse acts as a goad to push Guy towards a much needed self-examination that later helps him overcome his fear of bringing out the books he has collected over the years and start to look for the meaning in them. Because of Clarisse, Guy is able to transform into a more self-aware man who can now decode his feelings and realize what he needs to have a flourishing life. The second character I chose who impacts Guy Montag is Professor Faber. Guy met Faber in a park a year before this novel takes place when Guy suspected Faber of having a book. When Guy finally builds up his interest in wanting to know more about his secret books, he calls Faber for aid. With Faber’s knowledge, Guy is able to understand viewpoints from different authors and eventually escape the city after he is reported for having books. Alongside Clarisse, Faber is able to help Montag from being completely molded into an average city citizen who is isolated from the knowledge that books are,

In “Fahrenheit 451”, censorship is thriving and freedom of thought is dead. Society craved pleasure and therefore decided to ban books. Society craved comfort and this led to its own demise. Society needed to be rebuilt. Guy Montag went from an average person ignoring books, to a freedom fighter that lived for books. Guy Montag will join the cause to rebuild society from the ignorance that destroyed

Guy Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, goes through a journey of realization after one character, Clarisse McClellan, reveals a series of emotions to him that drives him into self-examination. Montag starts to see the twisted reality and actions of those around him, all the minor characters, and he tries to defy society in reaction to these characters. The concept of a man coming to the realization of the common and twisted behavior of the people around him is not only described in Bradbury’s work, but also described in J.D. Salinger’s work, The Catcher in the Rye. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s mental health deteriorates after every interaction with a new person who is not a pure and innocent person. After