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Fahrenheit 451 Identity Analysis

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Having an identity defines a person’s personality and traits. It also tells other people where the person learned his traits and morals. In the world, everyone is born with the same identity; however, a unique identity is flexible and changeable because a person can change his or her identity based on the environment he or she interacts with, as demonstrated by Guy Montag from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.
Montag’s identity first changed when he was disturbed by a traumatic and revealing event. As a fireman in an alternate dystopian reality, Montag was happy with his job burning books. He felt that being a fireman and part of a team were part of his identity. Montag continued his job as a fireman until he was forced to burn down an entire …show more content…

At the beginning of the story, Mildred and Montag already had a shaky relationship. Mildred constantly tried to tell Montag to conform to society and to relax more. Nevertheless, Mildred still considered Montag to be her husband, loving him as her own. However, when Montag began reading books in the house, Mildred immediately called the authorities. Having been betrayed by his wife, Montag had no choice but to leave the city. He decided to abandon the city life and instead chose to live by the countryside with other people. As a result, Montag changed from being a city fireman to a country reader. An identity can change in moments due to a person’s situation. Montag did not want to leave the city. He wanted to stay and enjoy the city. However, when Mildred betrayed him, he had nowhere else to go. The only way to survive and not be caught by the authorities is to live in the countryside. Montag’s identity was fundamentally affected by this ordeal. Although he changed to a free person, Montag also changed from being ignorant to enlightened. Montag realized that for all of his previous years, he was ignorant to speech and other freedoms. With his identity changed, Montag can now enjoy life without ever being censured for his acts.
An identity changes quickly depending on the situation one is in. Montag’s identity quickly changed from being an ignorant fireman who did not care about other people to an enlightened

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