Symbolism and Characters in Fahrenheit 451

Burning a Hole in Fahrenheit

Final Draft

Fahrenheit 451 has various main characters. These characters play the most important role in creating the feel of the story. Their appearance, actions, ideas, and relationships to other characters in the story give important insight to the world of Fahrenheit 451.

Bradbury's craft of creating characters with much symbolism is one of the most important aspects of Fahrenheit 451. From Guy Montag to Captain Beatty, he implements careful design in each character, molding them into more than just symbols.

Guy Montag is the main character in the story; he is the pillar on which all other characters rest, and the character which all other characters revolve around. The effect Bradbury creates of him is that he is an ignorant, naïve person. His faith in all humanity is crippled from the first page, it seems, and is further strained by Clarisse McClellan. Montag's actions are most often rash, with little or no thought attached to them ,which is implemented by Bradbury as a metaphor to Montag's socialization: acting for the moment on impulse, rather then thinking deeply before acting. This is illustrated on page 70, when he makes books out to be some sort of godly invention; something that would give sense and reason to the world, a problem solver, if you will. He also forms deep attachments to people who seem willing to be his allies, which further illustrates Bradbury pouring in a sense of incompleteness in the development of Montag, the person. In addition to this, Montag is constantly compelled to resist society, and resist the status quo. Upon his reading of the first book, the immensity and complexity thereof, he has a frustrated air throughout the book, as well as one who is confused, trying to find deeper understanding of the world and not coming to terms with reality at some points. Again this is illustrated not only on page 70 (see above) but also in the later sections of the book where he seeks out Faber's help in understanding. Deeper yet is his willingness to be swayed. Once told to do something he most often does it, which can be described on page 38, when he is told by one of his fellow firefighters "Don't just stand there idiot…..Kerosene". Immediately his body seems to become controlled by some outside force that forces him into a craze to burn books.