Guy Montag: Finding Truth

1714 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay for fahrenheit 451 about theme

There is evidence that the Egyptians and the Romans, both cultures of the ancient world, organized the first firefighting groups. Ever since then, the sole goal of a firefighter is to save life, property, and the environment. However, this is not the case in Ray Bradbury’s science fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451. In Fahrenheit 451 the nice community, firemen are transformed into a futuristic squad of law enforcers. Their new job is to search and burn books, as well as the locations at which they are found. This act of book burning is an attempt to keep society and its residence equal and happy. Though, when a person is trapped within a society that regulates their behavior, thoughts, and opinions, they are unable to understand the corrupt nature of their society. However, there is always one individual who is willing and capable of uncovering the truth. This individual is Guy Montag. Guy Montag, a fireman, is able to find truth by forming illegal friendships, rebelling against society to acquire knowledge, and finding flaws within the society. Therefore, through the character of Guy Montag, Ray Bradbury reveals the message that censorship, in fact, does not control society, but it prompts people to rebel.

Ray Bradbury first reveals this message when Montag meets Clarisse McClellan. It is after burning a house full of books that they meet. Clarisse is a seventeen year old neighbor, who likes to talk about the world around her. In the brief conversation between Montag and Clarisse, Clarisse questions his job and his purpose in life. Left in disbelief, Montag keeps thinking of what Clarisse said before she vanished into the “moon light”. He confirmed “of course I’m happy. What does she think? I’m not? He asked the quiet room” (Bra...

... middle of paper ...

...r rights and lead others to victory.

Work Cited

Beasley, Liz, ed. "Fahrenheit 451." Student's Encyclopedia of American Literary Characters. Ed.

Matthew J. Bruccoli and Judith S. Baughman. Vol. 1. New York: Facts on File, 2008. 112-14. Print. A-F.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. Print.

Eller, Edward E. "Fahrenheit 451." Ed. Diane Telgen. Novels for Students. Vol. 1. New York:

Gale, 1997. 149-59. Print.

Mogen, David. "Fahrenheit 451 as Social Criticism." In Ray Bradbury. Twayne Publishers,

1986. Quoted as "Fahrenheit 451 as Social Criticism" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Fahrenheit

451, Bloom's Guide. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2007.

Touponce, William F. Ray Bradbury and the Poetics of Reverie: Fantasy, Science

Fiction, and the Reader. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Research Press, 1984.

Show More
Related

  • Censorship In Fahrenheit 451 Essay

    833 Words  | 2 Pages

    “It was a pleasure to burn,”(3) that was the idea Ray Bradbury was trying to get across in the novel Fahrenheit 451. This novel takes place in the future, where governments only law is to burn books. In this novel, you will see how Bradbury explains the life of Guy Montag, a fireman who burns houses for a living. However one day he burns a house with a woman in who is willing to die for her books, this made Montag have the urge to steal a book. The stealing of the book is what lead him to believe society is lead by censorship. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury shows us a world in the future, in which free thought is controlled through censorship, which leads to an ignorant, insensitive, and non independent society.

    Read More

  • Family Relationships: Sonny Blues by James Baldwin and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    Janet E. Gardner , Beverly Lawn , Jack Ridl , Peter Schakel. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2013. 250-276. Print.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    Clarisse McClellan, a unique outcast whose personality traits you could say has influenced Montag to question his life. During one night after work Montag has a little run in with this unique individual into which his transformation initiates. Montag and Clarisse share a conversation into which becomes a life changing experience for Montag, they talked about life and how it’s so different from the times long ago. However though towards the end of this fascinating conversation Clarisse asked Montag one last question right before taking off, she asked Montag this, “Are you happy?”(Bradbury 7). Montag hesitantly states that yes he was happy right when she took off. Later on that night we find out Montag’s wife Mildred had overdosed on ...

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    Then she asks “Are you happy?”(14) Clarisse runs away into the moonlight, leaving Montag to question himself. Clarisse’s question depicts Montag having lost himself because he questions himself whether this job that he has grants him happiness.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Struggle for Power in 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Invisible Man and Julius

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the main struggle for power deals with the government.  This overly oppressive, almost Orwellian style bureaucracy, tries to make sure there is no interaction with books at all.  They believe that books permeate their society and corrupt the minds of the people.  Unannounced searches of property by "firemen" are not at all uncommon.  At the slightest inkling of this futuristic contraband, these firemen will rummage through all of one's property, at times, destroying everything in their path.

    Read More

  • The Transformation of Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the beginning of the book Fahrenheit 451, Montag is a loyal citizen and firemen, who has rarely questioned the beliefs of society. He sees the world as any ordinary citizen (in this society) would, and is perfectly content with seeing flames eat the words and thoughts of a person. Montag would never question society as he “grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame” (Bradbury 3). This means that he did not really feel the emotions that he should have felt, and was blinded by society. He felt he was doing good for society, even though he had no evidence except for the book the firemen read from to learn about their profession. The quote “Established, 1790, to burn English-influenced books in the Colonies. First Fireman: Benjamin Franklin. Rule 1. Answer the alarm swiftly. 2. Start the fire swiftly. 3. Burn everything. 4. Report back to firehouse immediately. 5. Stand alert for other alarms” (Bradbury 34-35) gives examples of how ignorant Montag was. He thought that because it was written in a book and because everyone else believed it, he also should believe it. Montag was the perfect citizen in his perfect society, but h...

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Compare And Contrast Essay

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    In both our society and Fahrenheit 451’s society, firemen keep people safe, but the way our firefighters keep us safe and the way the firefighters in Fahrenheit 451 keep us safe is quite different. To start off firemen in our society put out fires and save lives, where as the firemen in Fahrenheit 451 start fires and will burn anyone who gets in their way (Bradbury 36). Since firefighters in our society save lives and put out fires they are very respected and loved. It’s exactly the opposite for the firefighters in Fahrenheit 451 they are hated

    Read More

  • The Significance of Technology Depicted in Bradbury's Novel, Fahrenheit 451

    1219 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ray Bradbury's novel, Fahrenheit 451, is based in a futuristic time where technology rules our everyday lives and books are viewed as a bad thing because it brews free thought. Although today’s technological advances haven’t caught up with Bradbury’s F451, there is a very real danger that society might end up relying on technology at the price of intellectual development. Fahrenheit 451 is based in a futuristic time period and takes place in a large American City on the Eastern Coast. The futuristic world in which Bradbury describes is chilling, a future where all known books are burned by so called "firemen." Our main character in Fahrenheit 451 is a fireman known as Guy Montag, he has the visual characteristics of the average fireman, he is tall and dark-haired, but there is one thing which separates him from the rest of his colleagues. He secretly loves books.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in Fahrenheit 451

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first role that fire plays in Fahrenheit 451 is apparent from the very beginning of Bradbury's novel. "IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BURN. It was a pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed" (3). In these first two sentences, Bradbury creates a sense of curiosity and irony because in the story, change is something controlled and unwanted by the government and society, so it is very unlikely that anything in Guy Montag's society could be changed. The burning described at this point represents the constructive energy that later leads to catastrophe. A clear picture of firemen is first seen when the narrator says, "With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black" (3). Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn and is symbolically written on the firemen’s helmets, tanks, and in the firestation.

    Read More

  • The Paradox Of Censorship In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    Often, dystopian novels are written by an author to convey a world that doesn’t exist, but criticizes aspects of the present that could lead to the future. Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in 1951 but discusses issues that have only increased over time. The encompassing issue that leads to the dystopic nature of this novel is censorship of books. The government creates a world in which it is illegal to have any books. Firemen are enforcers of this law by being the ones to burn the books and burn the buildings where the books were found.

    Read More

  • Censoring the Pages of Knowledge

    1701 Words  | 4 Pages

    Censorship is enforced in an interesting way in Fahrenheit 451. Normally if someone was asked about the roles of firemen, they would respond, "firemen are people who put out fires." The role of firemen in Fahrenheit 451 is completely different. Firemen are the enforcers of the censorship laws. They are called upon when a person is known to have books in their house. The opening line of Bradbury's novel is, "It was a pleasure to burn" (3). Firemen seemed to enjoy their status as book burners. Many even got an adrenaline rush out of burning books. Guy Montag, the protagonist and main character of the novel was a fireman who once felt starting the fires in people's homes was thrilling. In describing Montag's actions during one particular fire, Bradbury writes, "He wanted above all, like the old joke to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house" (3). This quote demonstrates the mentality of the firemen and the opinion of the government. Books are evil in t...

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    Works Cited Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing Has a Negative Effect on American Youth

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    New York: Greenhaven, 2005. 162-68. The. Print. The. Solley, Bobbie A. & Co.

    Read More

  • Dr. King’s Argument Against Segregation

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ed. Lynn Z. Bloom and Louise Z. Smith. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2011. 494-507. Print.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of the Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun and Harlem

    1401 Words  | 3 Pages

    of the book. Eds. James H. Pickering and Jeffery D. Hoeper. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1027-28. Mullen, Edward J. & Co.

    Read More

More about Guy Montag: Finding Truth

Open Document