Next, there is the contrast of Montag and Captain Beatty. Montag is new to the thinking game and as such is very clumsy. He does things sporadically, such as tasting raindrops at work, and is still developing. On the other hand, Captain Beatty is a very intelligent and clever man who has an air of omnipotence. Despite knowing the truth about society and the firemen, Captain Beatty doesn’t act on his knowledge and only chooses to share it with other firemen in order to keep their curiosity in check (Bloom 48). Additionally, Captain Beatty wears the phoenix on his hat, and has the phoenix on his vehicle. However, at the climax of the novel, Captain Beatty ignites Montag’s breakdown which causes Montag to be reborn. Although Beatty did not believe
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As Montag continues his desperate charge for knowledge, he slips and makes mistakes. These mistakes culminate at the climax of the novel. Montag is told he must light his own house on fire and burn all of his books. This causes his mental state to be dangerously frail and weak. He has been alienated by Mildred, who called the alarm, and now he is faced with losing his precious novels and knowledge. As Montag burns his house, he is destroying everything he owns, and in turn, his previous life. This represents the self-destruction of his mind, and through fire, he is freeing himself from who he previously was. Although, he is still alive he has finally collapsed mentally, which symbolizes the death of the phoenix. That is because “transformation at this stage feels like death. It is the old self dying” (Imhasly-Gandhy 81). Now freed from his worldly obligation to the current society, Montag only fears for his own wellbeing. Captain Beatty challenges Montag’s knowledge and competency. Now free from any sense of obligation and still fearing his life, Montag scorches and murders Captain Beatty. Throughout all of the novel, and culminating now, Bradbury has been conveying that change is painful and not without sacrifice. Montag’s mental transformation from a normal citizen to that of a free-thinking scholar is nearly complete. He has officially ended his life as member of the main stream society, and as a …show more content…
As Montag is on the run, he is in a state of mental death. He is thinking in sporadic, and illogical terms. Montag shows his poor judgement by dashing across a high way and nearly dies, and stashing a book at a fellow fireman’s house. Next, Montag goes to visit Faber. This is very similar to Montag meeting his maker because Faber guided him throughout his journey to become a scholar. Montag would not be the man he was without Faber. Lastly, as Montag escapes through the river, he is “passing through the veil” and entering his new life. It begins as he meets Granger and the rest of the group. These men show Montag a method of endless potential for keeping knowledge safe. After the demolition of the city, Montag is finally free of all constraints and is able to begin his new life as a scholar and teacher. This is the beginning of the rebirth of society as
As Montag continues his desperate charge for knowledge, he slips and makes mistakes. These mistakes culminate at the climax of the novel. Montag is told he must light his own house on fire and burn all of his books. This causes his mental state to be dangerously frail and weak. He has been alienated by Mildred, who called the alarm, and now he is faced with losing his precious novels and knowledge. As Montag burns his house, he is destroying everything he owns, and in turn, his previous life. This represents the self-destruction of his mind, and through fire, he is freeing himself from who he previously was. Although, he is still alive he has finally collapsed mentally, which symbolizes the death of the phoenix. That is because “transformation at this stage feels like death. It is the old self dying” (Imhasly-Gandhy 81). Now freed from his worldly obligation to the current society, Montag only fears for his own wellbeing. Captain Beatty challenges Montag’s knowledge and competency. Now free from any sense of obligation and still fearing his life, Montag scorches and murders Captain Beatty. Throughout all of the novel, and culminating now, Bradbury has been conveying that change is painful and not without sacrifice. Montag’s mental transformation from a normal citizen to that of a free-thinking scholar is nearly complete. He has officially ended his life as member of the main stream society, and as a …show more content…
As Montag is on the run, he is in a state of mental death. He is thinking in sporadic, and illogical terms. Montag shows his poor judgement by dashing across a high way and nearly dies, and stashing a book at a fellow fireman’s house. Next, Montag goes to visit Faber. This is very similar to Montag meeting his maker because Faber guided him throughout his journey to become a scholar. Montag would not be the man he was without Faber. Lastly, as Montag escapes through the river, he is “passing through the veil” and entering his new life. It begins as he meets Granger and the rest of the group. These men show Montag a method of endless potential for keeping knowledge safe. After the demolition of the city, Montag is finally free of all constraints and is able to begin his new life as a scholar and teacher. This is the beginning of the rebirth of society as