Examples Of External Conflict In Fahrenheit 451

Montag’s Internal and External Conflicts

People sometimes have a great effect on other people, even if they do not realize it. That is what happens to Guy Montag, a main character in Ray Bradbury’s science fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451. In the novel he comes across many characters that change him. In the novel Ray Bradbury uses conflict to show the knowledge and ignorance in the characters.

Ray Bradbury uses Montag’s internal and external conflict throughout the book to show how he is changed by these things. One of the main characters in the novel is Clarisse, who is Montag’s neighbor, and she is the main character that starts his change. She starts his change by asking him a simple question. The book states “Then she seemed to remember something and came back to look at him with wonder and curiosity. ‘Are you happy?’ she said” (Bradbury).

Because of Clarisse, Montag is now starting to question his job and if he is truly happy with his life. He is questioning

Now because of this his relationship with Clarisse is stronger. He starts to go back to work and acquire more and more books. Montag figures out that what he has been doing is going come back to bite him … and it does. ‘You’ll be fine. This is a special case… ‘Here we are!’ ‘Something the matter, Montag?’ ‘Why we’ve stopped in front of my house” (Bradbury 107). Montag had finally realized what he had done had all come back to him. Beatty even tried to help him by giving him clues that he was on to Montag.

Montag realized the situation he was in and does something unthinkable… and he kills Beatty. He goes on the run from the law and is now a criminal for the rest of his life. Montag started off as an ignorant fireman who blindly followed society like everyone else. Because of his internal and external conflicts throughout the story, he begins to be more knowledgeable about what is really going on in society and his