The moment flames and kerosene engulfed Captain Beatty was the moment a man’s death ended all literary censorship in a society. Symbolically, Beatty was the last book burnt — he was the end. Ray Bradbury’s futuristic Fahrenheit 451 portrays a hedonistic society where time was consumed by breakneck driving and interactive television walls. Books, at its very core, were illegal and banned by the government. Beatty, the captain of the fire department, represented everything firefighter Guy Montag could have been but never would be. Like all, Beatty and Montag fell victim to the government’s brainwashing propaganda, which was issued upon its citizens in effort to mask in an indifference onto everything supposedly meaningful about life and create
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Montag, originally introduced as yet another indulgent firefighter, became a fugitive for his active pursue of literature and books. Unlike Beatty, Montag reinforced the notion that life is controlled by the individual and the individual only through utilizing the value and power knowledge contains, refusing to allow years of firefighting and decades of propaganda harden his self, and allowing literary knowledge be his rise instead of downfall. The meeting of Clarisse McClellan and Guy Montag, the question of “‘[Montag,] are you happy?’” (Bradbury 7) changed Montag’s worldview and ultimately his life. Up until that seemingly innocent sentence was uttered, Montag lived more as a robot than a person, obeying the government’s laws without a second thought and finding enjoyment in the stench of kerosene. Consequently, he answered Clarisse mindlessly. Clarisse’s questioning of Montag’s happiness, arguably the most sought after fulfillment in life, was a turning point in his existence. He was reminded of the books he had stashed away in the ventilator behind the grill, tucked away from prying eyes, and eventually, he began to read. From that time on, he learned …show more content…
In his world, the “451” and salamander emblazoned on firefighter uniforms was akin to a nation’s patriotism nowadays, flags flying high and national anthems proudly sung. The “451” and salamander represented positivity and security within the Montag’s society — the firefighters were good, helpful people who showed at the minute they were alerted to burn books and the house they homed in. Montag took pride in his profession. “‘It’s fine work.’”, he recalled, “‘…burn em’ to ashes, then burn the ashes.’” (Bradbury 6). Never once had he bothered to doubt his work, having always been told he was doing the “right” thing. However, when he did allow himself question exactly why books were so deadly and threatening, he made a decision. He would read books and seek the answer himself. It was that point that differentiated Montag from all other citizens: he had taken the initiative. He realized that books gave its reader a sense of who they were and who they could grow into. Books gave the reader an opportunity to devise their own thoughts and to become their own person, and that was precisely why the government, in a society based off of propaganda and borderline brainwashing, feared books so much. Beatty, hardened by his job as captain and by his environment, refused to see books from a perspective other than the government’s.
Montag, originally introduced as yet another indulgent firefighter, became a fugitive for his active pursue of literature and books. Unlike Beatty, Montag reinforced the notion that life is controlled by the individual and the individual only through utilizing the value and power knowledge contains, refusing to allow years of firefighting and decades of propaganda harden his self, and allowing literary knowledge be his rise instead of downfall. The meeting of Clarisse McClellan and Guy Montag, the question of “‘[Montag,] are you happy?’” (Bradbury 7) changed Montag’s worldview and ultimately his life. Up until that seemingly innocent sentence was uttered, Montag lived more as a robot than a person, obeying the government’s laws without a second thought and finding enjoyment in the stench of kerosene. Consequently, he answered Clarisse mindlessly. Clarisse’s questioning of Montag’s happiness, arguably the most sought after fulfillment in life, was a turning point in his existence. He was reminded of the books he had stashed away in the ventilator behind the grill, tucked away from prying eyes, and eventually, he began to read. From that time on, he learned …show more content…
In his world, the “451” and salamander emblazoned on firefighter uniforms was akin to a nation’s patriotism nowadays, flags flying high and national anthems proudly sung. The “451” and salamander represented positivity and security within the Montag’s society — the firefighters were good, helpful people who showed at the minute they were alerted to burn books and the house they homed in. Montag took pride in his profession. “‘It’s fine work.’”, he recalled, “‘…burn em’ to ashes, then burn the ashes.’” (Bradbury 6). Never once had he bothered to doubt his work, having always been told he was doing the “right” thing. However, when he did allow himself question exactly why books were so deadly and threatening, he made a decision. He would read books and seek the answer himself. It was that point that differentiated Montag from all other citizens: he had taken the initiative. He realized that books gave its reader a sense of who they were and who they could grow into. Books gave the reader an opportunity to devise their own thoughts and to become their own person, and that was precisely why the government, in a society based off of propaganda and borderline brainwashing, feared books so much. Beatty, hardened by his job as captain and by his environment, refused to see books from a perspective other than the government’s.