The novel, Fahrenheit 451, is a dystopian novel that is regarding the protagonist, Guy Montag. He is known as a firefighter in his society. His job is to burn and destroy books, along with the houses that has books within them. The cause for this is because books are illegal in their society and the firemen are in charge of burning books. In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist, Guy Montag, undergoes many changes throughout the text due to his interactions with specific characters.
A character that Montag interacts with in the novel who changes him is Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse encourages Guy Montag to change because Clarisse questions Montag with many questions he thought he knew but he comes to realization that his society is not what he thought it was. When Clarisse asks Montag “Are you happy?” (Bradbury 7) Montag laughs at the question but then he starts to question himself and what does not bring happiness. It made him take a closer look at his life, his job as a fireman, his wife, and the society in was in. Montag always wore his happiness as a mask and Clarisse took it from him. This is when he is becoming more aware of his surroundings. Clarisse says “‘What a shame,’ she said. “You’re not in love anyone.” ‘Yes, I am!’” (Bradbury 19) to Montag. When Clarisse says this to Montag, Clarisse rubbed a dandelion under her chin and she told Montag to do it but he didn’t want to do it because he knew what would happen. After this situation occurs Montag starts to remember Millie and he tried to think of the memories they had together but could not remember any. This makes him question the type of relationship they had.
Mildred is Montag’s wife. When she is introduced in part one The Hearth and the Salamander she is known throughout the novel immediately for overdosing on sleeping pills and they had to pumped her stomach with a snake (machine known for pumping stomachs). This situation made Montag feel a sudden change in his wife.When Montag says “And he remembered thinking then that if she died, he was certain he wouldn’t cry. For it would be the dying of an unknown, a street face, a newspaper image, and it was suddenly so very wrong that he had begun to cry, not at death but at the thought of not crying at death, a silly empty woman, while the hungry snake made her still more empty” (Bradbury 41) he reveals to the readers what kind of relationship they had between each other. The woman that burnt with her books made Montag have a different perspective on his society and the way firefighters burn books. Firemen are not suppose to start fire their suppose to put them out. “Montag felt an immense irritation. She shouldn’t be her, on top of everything!” (Bradbury 34) when Montag mentions this he is talking about the woman, and how he comes to realization that maybe there is something in those books because she chooses to burn with them. Later in the novel, this situation encourages Montag to read books because he is concerned with what is in them.
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Another character that influenced and encourages Monag to change is Professor Faber. Faber is a retired english professor who recognizes the meaning of the firemen burning books in his society. Montag and Faber met a year ago in the city park. Montag seeks Faber through the task he needs helps with. The narrator says, “He picked up a small green metal object no larger than a .22 bullet” (Bradbury 86), Faber had invented a device to give to Montag. It is used to give Montag messages throughout the novel, and this helps him with future situations involving certain characters. With this earpiece this will educate Montag. “This book has pores. It has features. This book can go under the microscope. You’d find life under the glass, streaming past in infinite profusion. The more pores, the more truthfully recorded details of life per square inch you can get on a sheet of paper, the more ‘literary’ you are” (Bradbury 79) Faber makes declaration that books are not the thing that Montag is looking for it is the meaning of them. Also, what they contain within them. Faber thinks that Montag is looking for texture in books but he needs to look for quality of information.With Faber’s support and guidance he helps Montag achieve his goal by destroying the way firemen burn.
In conclusion, in the novel Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist, Guy Montag undergoes many changes throughout the text due to his interactions with specific characters. Clarisse, Captain Beatty, and Faber helps Montag change throughout the novel to become a better Montag. There is a big plot twist with these three characters because the view on Montag at the beginning of the novel was different. Montag use to have a pleasure with burning books, but later in the novel these characters made him realize how his society really was.
References
- Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2013.
