Montag's Change In Fahrenheit 451

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.

Our society that we live in at this moment may be headed for destruction. In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, the characters live in a society that is truly awful, but the author shows us that our society could be headed down that path. However, in the story, the beliefs of the main character Guy Montag change drastically, from beginning the novel as an oblivious citizen to ending it by trying to change his society for the better. Guy lives in a society in which the government outlaws books because they cause people to ponder ideas and develop new ones. The stories stripped from their lives as if they had never existed, the citizens of this society blindly follow their government. Throughout the novel, the main character Guy Montag

“We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren't happy. Something’s missing,” writes Ray Bradbury in his novel Fahrenheit 451 (82). Fahrenheit 451 is a book set in a dystopian society where people are restricted to thinking only a certain way. There aren't any two-sided political debates or controversies among media. This is because all media considered tendentious has been banned, and in order to maintain this rule, firemen have been given the duty of burning books. Among the firemen is Guy Montag, a man who would be considered as a society norm with a house and a wife. In the beginning of the book, Montag has no worries and he accepts his life as a nondescript fireman in this unmindful world. However, after encountering his “seventeen

Guy Montag, in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, exhibits great change through his actions, thoughts, and choices that completely shifts his views of the world around him, as he transitions from an enforcer of the tyrant, censoring government, to an outlaw, a fugitive trying to break the tight-knit conformist view of society. Through this change, he begins to question everything he once believed in: his job, his lifestyle, and even his own wife.

In order for a person to be human, they have to have a chance to live their lives under their own control and decide which path their life will take them. In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, people did not have the choice to live under their own control. Instead, their every move was under the control of the society. Some people enjoyed this life while others were wanting to take the society down. Montag was one who wanted to take the society down.

Over the course of Fahrenheit 451, Montag's opinion and understanding of what fire represents changes drastically. While he does not abandon his original thoughts on the matter, he acquires new knowledge and new understandings. These newfound trains of thought have a direct impact on his character, and the way he conducts himself. Initially, Montag gets a rush from burning books and other objects, and loves the way it feels to destroy, and enjoys the appearance of destruction. However, over a period of time, and through a number of circumstances, he learned there is more to fire than pure devastation.

“It was a pleasure to burn” (Bradbury 1), these words mark the beginning of the main character, Montag’s, journey. Through this quote, one can truly see the change that Montag goes through and what can be learned from each of the changes In “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, Montag, the hero, experiences several changes after meeting a girl named Clarisse. These changes ultimately disrupt Montag’s view of the dystopian society around him. In the novel, the theme of the story is reflected by Montag’s change which is caused by the several conflicts in the story To begin, Montag is asked if he is truly happy by Clarisse that makes him skeptical of the society and leads to the life lesson to question everything. After Montag and Clarisse walk home, Montag is already feeling disturbed by Clarisse’s strangeness.

Comprehend some knowledge of American freedom, now, imagine life in a population of censorship. Unnoticed, life passes rapidly, engrossed in practiced thoughts and habitually following unethical decrees. Truly, this is not the “proper” way to live, a project of the system. A distinction between life and death or ignorance and knowledge becomes nonexistent. This censored society prevails in Ray Bradbury's writing of Fahrenheit 451 depicting Guy Montag as the deviant, rebellious character that is a fanatic for preventing the burning of

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, a story is told about a man named Guy Montag, a fireman who burns books in a society where books are illegal and everyone is trying to be happy in the wrong ways. Montag ends up questioning the ordinary and discovers that books are the answer, not the curse, so he escapes society to start all over. Through Montag’s experiences and influences, he learns that there is more to the strange life he is living, which changes his character. “It was a pleasure to burn” (Bradbury 1); says Guy Montag. Montag is content with his way of living.

Shortly after Clarisse moves in down the street from the main protagonist, she meets Montag. Even though she has learned that he is a fireman, she is willing to talk to him anyway, saying, “You know, I’m not afraid of you at all” (Bradbury 11). So she talks to him, and he listens. He listens and learns from her and learns what life can be from her. Clarisse gives Montag thoughts and ideas he has never had before and this sparks a strive for knowledge in Montag.

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.

Ray Bradbury wrote the novel Fahrenheit 451 about a dystopian society that involves a protagonist, Guy Montag. In the beginning, Montag appears to be a guy that takes considerable pleasure in his job as a firemen. The firemen burn the books which are considered illegal in the society, because of this the burn them one at a time, or if there’s a lot, they will burn the house of the ‘criminal’ with all the books. However, Montag meets a girl, Clarisse, and everything changed. He began to question his profession along with his life, and even his happiness in his marriage. Subsequently rethinking his life, Montag makes, as some would say some idiotic choices that soon led to a series of punishing events. Montag has had books hidden in his home

William Ellery Channing once said “The great hope of society is individual character.” The novel Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian society written by Ray Bradbury. The protagonist Guy Montag, is a fireman who rebels against the government that didn't want people to think. With all the conflict throughout the society, Guy Montag changed from an inexpressive and unimaginative man, to a very emotional person who began basing his actions off of his feelings.

Albert Camus once stated, “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” If something is not the way that it ethically should be then it is acceptable to rebel within the parameters of what is morally correct. In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, he presents a world where the government has restricted access to printed literature so that they can acquire increased control over their citizens. The main character, Guy Montag, shows incredible growth in his personality through his journey of enforcing and blindly accepting the government restrictions to stop the flow of information to a realization that the sharing of knowledge leads to a stronger community. Guy Montag’s character consists of many qualities including that he is a loyal and accepting government employee that works as a "fireman" whose job is to destroy all remaining books and to burn the personal property of those that he caught reading the outlawed books. A depressing and lonely home life influences Montag's character, including a drug-addicted and shallow wife, named Millie. While sadness and loss surround Montag, he is a strong individual that can overcome obstacles and the challenge of the government’s policies. Montag struggles when he realizes the impact of his orders from his boss puts on others, and that he must take a stand for the betterment of the community. Rebellion becomes an option when the government is not

Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, illustrates the transformation of Guy Montag, a firefighter living in a dystopian society where books are illegal. Montag’s journey is revolved around his self-realization of true happiness and the discovery of books. The start of his self-reflection and realization stems from meeting his neighbor, Clarisse McClellan. His journey is further impacted by the mentoring from Faber, an old English professor. Several characters and events shift Montag’s perspective on society and life. The Guy Montag introduced in the beginning of the novel dramatically contrasts the Guy Montag presented at the end of the novel.