Many humans contemplate about whether the journey or the destination is more important to a character’s growth. During Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a fireman named Montag lives in a society where books are burnt because the knowledge inside them is not allowed to be spread. He discovers what information these books have through his journey in the novel. In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a boy named Santiago embarks on a journey to achieve his Personal Legend. Throughout both novels, these protagonists meet new mentors which shape their outlook on life and allow them to follow their own morals. Journeys allows individuals to encounter new new ideas and people which lead them to trust their own intuition instead of seeking guidance from others.
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Early on in Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag meets Clarisse McClellan, a teenager who challenges the views of the world. When she asks Montag if he ever reads the books that he burns, his response was sarcastic, “He laughed, ‘That’s against the law!’” (Bradbury 5). Montag’s tone during this quotation displays how he views the idea of going against society to be psycho. He thinks of Clarisse’s question as a joke because he is so used to following the norms of his society. Montag is so used to his going through with his duties as a fireman that he has not thought about what he truly believes ever. Similarly, during the beginning of The Alchemist, Santiago seeks out help from others instead of trusting his own opinions. Santiago seeks help from a gypsy in order to discover the meaning of his recurrent dream, “‘Well, interpret the dream,’ he said” (Coelho 14). At this point in the story, Santiago did not have enough faith in himself to trust his own opinions. He could have followed his own feelings and begun the journey without any assistance from the gypsy, but he needed somebody to confirm that his dream would lead him to a treasure. Montag and Santiago are similar at this point of the story because they are both unable to find their own feelings …show more content…
During a day at work, Montag brings up that Clarisse McClellan expressed during one of their encounters, “He opened his mouth and it was Clarisse McClellan saying, “Didn’t firemen prevent fires rather than get them going?” (Bradbury 31). How Montag refers back to the teenage girl’s ideas reveals how he has been influenced by the ideas that she supplied him with. If Clarisse did not encourage him to challenge the beliefs of society, he would not have been able develop the ability to listen to his own intuition by the end of the story. When the alchemist and Santiago are in the desert during The Alchemist, the alchemist tells him, “Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say.” (Coelho 128). The alchemist’s words give Santiago significant advice which allows him to grow as an individual. Santiago was indecisive about whether or not to listen to his heart before, but the alchemist’s advice encouraged him to go along with his intuition instead of trusting the opinions of others before his own. Both Clarisse McClellan and the alchemist introduce new beliefs to the protagonists of the story that they are in, which ultimately allows these characters to be influenced by the beliefs of others. Nevertheless, Clarisse and the alchemist are different in some aspects because while the
Early on in Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag meets Clarisse McClellan, a teenager who challenges the views of the world. When she asks Montag if he ever reads the books that he burns, his response was sarcastic, “He laughed, ‘That’s against the law!’” (Bradbury 5). Montag’s tone during this quotation displays how he views the idea of going against society to be psycho. He thinks of Clarisse’s question as a joke because he is so used to following the norms of his society. Montag is so used to his going through with his duties as a fireman that he has not thought about what he truly believes ever. Similarly, during the beginning of The Alchemist, Santiago seeks out help from others instead of trusting his own opinions. Santiago seeks help from a gypsy in order to discover the meaning of his recurrent dream, “‘Well, interpret the dream,’ he said” (Coelho 14). At this point in the story, Santiago did not have enough faith in himself to trust his own opinions. He could have followed his own feelings and begun the journey without any assistance from the gypsy, but he needed somebody to confirm that his dream would lead him to a treasure. Montag and Santiago are similar at this point of the story because they are both unable to find their own feelings …show more content…
During a day at work, Montag brings up that Clarisse McClellan expressed during one of their encounters, “He opened his mouth and it was Clarisse McClellan saying, “Didn’t firemen prevent fires rather than get them going?” (Bradbury 31). How Montag refers back to the teenage girl’s ideas reveals how he has been influenced by the ideas that she supplied him with. If Clarisse did not encourage him to challenge the beliefs of society, he would not have been able develop the ability to listen to his own intuition by the end of the story. When the alchemist and Santiago are in the desert during The Alchemist, the alchemist tells him, “Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say.” (Coelho 128). The alchemist’s words give Santiago significant advice which allows him to grow as an individual. Santiago was indecisive about whether or not to listen to his heart before, but the alchemist’s advice encouraged him to go along with his intuition instead of trusting the opinions of others before his own. Both Clarisse McClellan and the alchemist introduce new beliefs to the protagonists of the story that they are in, which ultimately allows these characters to be influenced by the beliefs of others. Nevertheless, Clarisse and the alchemist are different in some aspects because while the