The character that follows and stays obedient to the oppressive government is the character opposed to Montag. The character that fits this description is Captain Beatty, for he believes and personifies the government’s anti-book ideology. Though, there are many perspective differences between Beatty and Montag; Beatty is an intellectual equal to him. For instance, Beatty expresses his knowledge and acknowledgement of the information inside literature throughout Fahrenheit 451. When he attempts to evacuate the old woman outside from her house, he says to her, “You’ve been locked up here for years with a regular damned Tower of Babel” (Bradbury 35). Captain Beatty reveals that he has read a book before by making a biblical reference, which shows …show more content…
Beatty shares to Montag his belief that literature is confusing and are full of meaningless words. In addition, he claims that reading can be harmful to oneself. According to Beatty, the mass censorship and burning of books ordered by the government are acts of societal good. Beatty shares his personal belief that, “Technology, mass exploitation and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God. Today, thanks to them, you can stay happy all the time” (Bradbury 55). He explains to Montag that censorship is the trick to a happy and ordered society. The advancement of entertainment technology aided in the censorship by distracting the population with entertainment. Montag’s view towards books is opposite to the views of Beatty, which makes Montag rethink whether or not his comrades are a positive effect on society. Additionally, Montag’s horrific experience of watching a woman die for her books, makes him wonder what books truly contain. After witnessing a death of a martyr, Montag expresses that he is discouraged to continue his line of work to Mildred. He asks his wife and himself a question: Why was that old woman willing to die for her books? Captain Beatty’s confrontation with Montag furthers Montag’s interests in books. Thus, Beatty forces Montag to question his government and the information that was spoon-fed to him all his life. Montag wonders if he is part of
When the lady with the books was sticking up for herself, Montag was trying to help her get safe. Beatty however, didn’t care about the woman and was going to light the house on fire whether she was in it or not, “Beatty raised his hand in which concealed the igniter”(36). The lady pulls out the protective and safe side of Montag which also lets the reader see that Beatty will do anything as long as the job is getting done. Montag opposing the violence shows the raw uncovered violence and loss of humanity in this society. One main difference that Montag and Beatty had was Clarrise, while Montag was friends with her, Beatty despised her.
Montag’s wife is an example of how society reacts to someone who claims to have new ideas. She quickly shuns him, tells him books aren’t people and that do nothing to help. Montag believes the opposite and begins analyzing how big of an impact books would have on society. He challenges group ignorance by claiming that,"Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes!”(Bradbury).
Social justice is often strived for by society. It is a necessary force in allowing humankind to coexist. However, the individual also has to play a role in maintaining social justice. The role of the individual is stated in the texts Fahrenheit 451 and “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury and “Letter From Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. by illustrating the consequences of not participating in the monitoring of justice.
“The woman on the porch reached out with contempt to them all and struck the kitchen house against the railing” (Bradbury, 40). This peaks Montag’s interest in books, and even prompts him to steal one from the burning house to add to his hidden collection. Nevertheless the harms of censorship are eventually recognized, people become curious and want to know what 's being hidden from
After the incident, Montag thought about the suicidal woman and he is confused as to why she would sacrifices her own life for some mere books. Since he’ve been told that books are evil, a spark of curiosity blooms within him. In part two, Montag is desperate for help. After his boss, Beatty, talks to him about the history of firemen and books, Montag is afraid that Beatty knows that he stole a book.
In the paragraph, Beatty explains why they don’t allow people to read books. In the world Montag is living in the government doesn’t allow people to have their own thoughts or opinions. They are worried that if they read books they will have different opinions causing them to fight with one another or the government. The government is limiting their knowledge so everyone will be “happy”. However, no one is truly happy because they believe the same thing as everyone else.
n. In the book, Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury, there was evidence that Beatty was persuading and terrorizing his fellow firemen and society because of the power in his hands. Although, He was educated by reading books, Beatty was not justified for hiding the truth about censorship because he kept society from thinking, used his power for evil instead for good and sent fear throughout society. He is just as guilty as Montag because he to read books. As well as, hid information that was very valid to the knowledge of the people of the society.
As the books went up in flames, Montag became enraged by society and how the world was becoming. Mildred, Clarisse, and Captain Beatty influenced Montag the most throughout the book to rebel against the government. Mildred was one of the main characters in Fahrenheit 451 who influenced Guy Montag. Mildred was in her own little world where nothing bad ever happens to her.
Here, Faber is in his house telling Montag about how books bring life into the world. Faber is letting Montag know that books are important not because they are books, but because of their meaning. As difficult as they can be to deal with, the pores are the perfect imperfections needed to make the world great. Bradbury shows that books and knowledge are vital and that censoring books robs the world of individuality and freedom. “Give a man a few lines of verse and he thinks he’s the lord of all creation.
Even though his society has said books are harmful he reads them and does not hesitate to read again, even though Beatty said to Montag books have nothing in them he still reads, he rejected his society and is not willing to believe what Beatty says is true. (STEWE-2) Montag realizes how the people of the society are so distracted from the world and sees how wrong it is. “Every hour so many damn things in the sky! How in the hell did those bombers get up there every single second of our lives!
A. The word that describes the first third of Fahrenheit 451 is ‘fear’. The people in this society are afraid of the government, and the government is afraid of the people. In an attempt to stay in power, the government banned free thought – à la mode of Syria, Libya, the USSR and other countries. Because books bring intellectualism, books are thus banned and replaced with mass media.
In a society where books are burned, an unlikely hero Montag is awakened. In this dystopian society, Guy Montag gives us a perspective to a dark, but changing without much Montag must guide himself through a civilization of lucid vegetables. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, predicts a shocking future where parlor walls and violence have taken over the social life of civilians as the corrupted government promotes and restricts knowledge. At first Montag is depicted as a dense character that takes everyone’s word for it, until he faces an internal conflict he never thought of, his happiness.
Books are banned, and firemen burn them. Montag and his wife Mildred, a technology addict, begin to read books, slowly leading them to question the countless problems in his society. In both stories, Ray Bradbury uses tone and literary devices to show how an overdependence on technology as well as a disconnection from the
Joseph Brodsky once said, “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” In an interview concerning his science fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury echoed these words because his novel displays such a crime. Although Fahrenheit 451 classifies as fiction, the book points out several problems that now take on the body of reality. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 exhibits how technology possesses the capability of affecting people negatively through the characters’ actions and the story’s made-up creations.
For every protagonist, there is an antagonist lurking around the corner. They are viewed as vicious, evil people or concepts going out of their way to sabotage the main character. This does not pertain to some antagonists, but in this case, the stereotype holds true. Montag does seem to star in the song I Am My Own Worst Enemy by Lit, but Captain Beatty’s wrongdoings overrule, showcasing him as the prominent bad guy. Captain Beatty is the main antagonist of Fahrenheit 451, because of his occupation, his chosen ignorance, and his representation of society.