Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, is of the struggles of a firefighter, Guy Montag. This novel takes place during the future in Elm City where all houses are fireproof, people drive jet cars, and firefighters burn books instead of extinguishing them! Montag was pushed by his curiosity to steal some books before the firefighters burn them and store them in his house.
One day, Montag met Clarisse McClellan, one of his neighbors. Clarisse was a 17-year-old girl who had no fear of speaking her mind. “Let’s talk about something else. Have you ever smelled old leaves? Dont they smell like cinnamon? Here. Smell.” (pg.40) In this passage, we are shown that Clarisse McClellan plays an enormous role in the book in that she awakens a love and desire in Montag to enjoy the simple things in life. Clarisse attains this knowledge from her uncle who reads the forbidden books. Clarisse suddenly dies from fatal car accident, and Montag is devastated that she dies so soon after meeting her.
Meanwhile at the fire station, Montag is discovered hiding his books by the fire chief, Captain Beatty. “A natural error. Curiosity alone We let the fireman keep the book twenty-four hours. If he hasnt burned it by then we come and burn it for him.” (pg. 68) Beatty lets Montag keep the book until that night when Montag will return to work. Meanwhile, Montag meets with Professor Faber, a retired English teacher after a phone call cut short. While at the meeting, Faber is extremely careful due to the fact that Montag might not be able to be trusted until Faber notices the book Montag has brought with him, the Bible. Montag goes to Faber in hope that Faber can copy the book for him, Faber cannot, and they decide to attempt to give Beatty the another book.
That night Montag returns to work and succeeds in switching the books, but they fire-station receives a call of a house with books. When the fire fighters arrive Montag realizes that this is his house and the switch failed. The men burn his house and all his belongings. Montag becomes enraged at Beatty and torches him with his flame-thrower. Then the mechanical hound is sent after Montag and begins injecting morphine into his leg but Montag toasts the dog as well and begins to run. Montag retreats to Faber’s house and gets rid of his scent and jumps in the river to float downstream, hopefully arriving at the old railroad.
Montag successfully throws the police and the other mechanical hound of his trail. When Montag arrives in the woods, he finds other men who have evaded the police from reading books. Montag successfully starts a new life there with the other men. In Bradburys futuristic novel, Fahrenheit 451, Montag is hounded by his imagination to read these restricted books. Montag displays many major themes in this novel.
One theme in Fahrenheit 451 is how Guy Montage is able to see through the government and the official policies of his society. He does by questioning everything around him. This novel represents today how we are influenced by what other people think.
