Guy Montag, the main character of Fahrenheit 451, and Winston Smith, the main character of 1984, both appear to the reader as average men who work for the government, destroying any remnants of history and any possibility of rebellion. Montag, a fireman, burns books to make sure any past knowledge is obliterated while Winston works in the Ministry of Truth, rewriting old newspapers to make sure they line up with the Party’s current beliefs. They both feel that something is not right with the way the government operates and wish to rebel, doing things that the government considers illegal, such as keeping books or having personal thoughts that differ from what the Party believes. Montag, desperate to rebel and become his own individual person, makes rash decisions which usually work against him. He also feels guilty for some of the things he has done, unsure of whether he is doing the right thing at certain times in the novel and tries not to blame himself. Winston, on the other hand, wishes to formulate a plan to find the Brotherhood, the group working against the Party, and help them take down the government. Although his decisions are not always working in his favor, he is careful in what he does, even if he knows it will get him in trouble. Winston also does not let anyone else take the fall for his actions until he has been tortured to such extremes that he puts …show more content…
In 1984, the government tries to become all powerful; they wish to have control over everything, past, present, and future. They monitor the actions of all of the citizens of Oceania to ensure that they have total power. The government in Fahrenheit 451 does not play as big of a role in the novel as it does in 1984. The details are vague and those who act against Montag mostly consist of loyal citizens and firemen. The goal of the government is not total and complete manipulation of the masses, but rather to make sure that there is no possibility of revolution. Another important theme in both novels is the rebellious attitudes of both Montag and Winston. Their desire to overcome the power of the oppressive governments drives them toward making certain decisions that lead to their