There are two elements that stand out to me the most when reading Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Fire and knowledge, whether knowledge of self or of the truth of past or present. Fire represents a lot of different things, but one of the main things is renewal and rebirth on one’s self, like a phoenix rising out of the ashes. In Campbell’s Monomyth, rebirth and knowledge are key to finding one’s self. Although, knowledge and fire are used for such good, they can also be used to destroy. Fire for example can be used for warmth and creation, but it can also be used for destruction of life, home or even something as simple as books. This is why someone like Montag, must go on this journey that Campbell describes, in order …show more content…
Clarisse shows him a world of many possibilities and most importantly a world of great knowledge. His skepticism turned to reality when he witnessed an old women die for her books. As Montag struggles to try and get his two worlds to coexist, his captain begins to see signs of uncertainty in Montag. Beatty becomes Montag’s temptress when he confronts him and says, “At least once in his career, every fireman gets an itch. What do the books say? … I have had to read a few in my time … and the books say nothing!” (Bradbury 62). He is still not persuaded to forget the new knowledge that he came by, and continues to search for the truth and self-knowledge. This curiosity causes him to break the rules by stealing books from people before burning the rest of their collection. His trials continue when he decides to feed his curiosity by beginning to read the books to himself at night when his wife is asleep. Books are not only illegal, but knowledge as well, so this act was very dangerous. He encounters his next temptress when he asks to read to his wife and she pleads with him to burn the books and forsake his search of knowledge. Clarisse was mysteriously hit by a car, so through all this trails only …show more content…
This is where Montag refuses to return back to the world he came from, and doesn’t give up until Faber agrees to help him destroy the firehouse. The moment that he crosses to over to his new self, to his true self when he and his fellow fireman are called to his own home to destroy his own books. He was betrayed, and his wife is the culprit. After being ordered by Beatty to erase his old self, and let it die in the fire, his critised and mocked by his captain. Montag is completely alone and the Montag he once knew was gone, abolished from existence for good. With this, he turns the torch to his captain, who receives an ironic death, and when attacked by the mechanical hound he torches it too and