Growth In Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451'

462 Words2 Pages

Lyra Jessica Cresido English 9 10 July 2023 Fahrenheit 451: Prompt C Throughout Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag, our main character, undergoes a significant transformation from a dutiful fireman who follows society's norms due to herd behavior to a free-thinking individual who values knowledge and literature. Several key moments contributed to Montag's growth, but three stand out as the most important; meeting Clarisse, seeing the old woman die with her books, and befriending Faber. The first moment is when Montag meets Clarisse McClellan. At the beginning of the book, Montag is a proud fireman with a "happy" life in their society. "It was a pleasure to burn. … his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history" (1). However, after meeting Clarisse, a young and beautiful teenager with unconventional thoughts and questions challenging Montag's worldview, he starts questioning his role as a fireman and the way of their society with her question, "Are you happy?" (7). Clarisse's influence on Montag is evident when he starts to notice and appreciate the little things in life, such as the …show more content…

"The woman knelt among the books, touching the drenched leather and cardboard, reading the gilt titles with her fingers while her eyes accused Montag. "You can't ever have my books," she said" (35). This event causes him to realize the true value of literature and the importance of preserving knowledge. Montag begins to see the firefighters' role in a different light and realizes that they are not just destroying books but also the ideas and knowledge contained within them. "It took some man a lifetime maybe to put some of his thoughts down, looking around at the world and life, and then I came along in two minutes and boom! it's all over"

Open Document