Fahrenheit 451: An Analysis

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is set sometime in the future and based on a society in which books have been banned, fast cars are a must-have and people are not allowed to have free thought. They are uniform in their ways, carrying on about their daily tasks in a thoughtless manner, occupied by their use of technological gadgets instead of participation in real relationships. Laws are in place to prevent any non-compliance and just walking down the street or getting caught with a book can get someone thrown in jail. The idea is that people are more easily controlled without the presence of education and individual creativity. Bradbury illustrates the contraire through his use of the protagonist, Montag. He is a fireman whose job is to burn books and the homes they are found in. He is content with his place in society. Montag’s relationships with Clarisse and Faber, and his ultimate rebellion against society show that when limits are reached, and they are given the opportunity, even the most obedient people will rebel and commit the unthinkable.
In the first part, Montag conforms to the …show more content…
He meets Clarisse and starts questioning things, he even begins stealing books and noticing how unhappy he is with his wife. Clarisse first puts the notion in Montag’s head when she asks “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”(Bradbury 3) Clarisse is trying to get a reaction out of Montag when she asks him this, she is aware of something even he is not aware of yet. Of course Montag is still trying to uphold his good citizen stature and denies having even thought about doing something that would break the law. Clarisse is not convinced though and she continues her friendship with Montag while having a greater impact on his thoughts with each encounter. Eventually, he gives into Clarisse and begins questioning his own