Guy Montag's Character Change In Fahrenheit 451

People change people. This is because every single interaction, conversation or experience can affect someone’s way of thinking. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character Guy Montag undergoes a re-education on how he views the world. Each character he encounters motivates him to take action about his curious mindset. Some of the most prominent people who impact Montag include, Clarisse, the unnamed old woman, Faber, and Beatty. All of these characters create uncertainty and oppose Montag’s beliefs as they influence his change from a mindless firefighter to a man capable of thinking for himself. Clarisse perhaps plays the most impactful role in Montag’s metamorphosis. She serves as a catalyst that impels Montag to start thinking for himself. She possesses the unique …show more content…
He tries to dissuade Montag from wanting to read, but the opposite results occur. Beatty comes over to his house while he is sick to persuade him that books can only cause trouble (Bradbury 59). This moment seems to make Montag even more curious about the knowledge contained inside of books. After this encounter, Beatty allows him a day to read to make his decision (Bradbury 66). Beatty believes that he can turn him against the books, however Montag uses that day to become even further immersed in his books. Without Beatty, Montag’s curiosity about the valuable substance books hold may have never grown. Furthermore, Beatty also makes Montag unafraid to rebel against the government. During the night that Montag’s house gets burnt down, Beatty taunts him by saying quotes and reciting lines by Shakespeare (Bradbury 121). These words drive Montag to murder Beatty, thus committing his first blatant act of crime against society. This moment also turns Montag into a wanted man that must live on the run. Thus, showing how Beatty quickens Montag’s development from a seemingly satisfied member of society to a man confident enough to revolt against