Fahrenheit 451 Beatty Quotes

When one fears what one does not understand, he often becomes defensive, avoiding it at all costs. This is the problem facing Guy Montag; his society absolutely deplores challenge. Anything that can be perceived as offensive is banished. In their eyes, books are cursed objects which make people think. Without literature, the public’s thought is suppressed, and they live mindless lives. In the book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Beatty is the captain of the firemen. As a fireman, Beatty acts as the controlling arm for this suppression. He is the one harshly guiding the public towards apathy by burning their books. However, when seen as just a man, Beatty is not important. He is one fireman against millions of books. He is important because of what he represents to Montag, which is: the censorship of information, an impetus to learn, and what

When arguing against Montag in the firehouse, Beatty quotes many books. One line he remembers is, “The devil can cite scripture for his purpose!” (106). It is interesting how Bradbury uses this quote from the bible, the word, “devil”, represents Beatty, who is the one citing odd books to prove his point. Not only that, the fact that he remembers specific quotes like this proves that he once sought to learn and think for himself. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, he was swept back into social norms and now burns books. This is notable because it shows a lot about Montag. Montag will not fall into the same trap Beatty did. When Beatty sets the mechanical hound to be outside his house, Montag says, “Let’s get back to work” (72). His first reaction is to read more while facing a threat. This shows that he is willing to learn no matter the risk. It is important for the story, because, without this strength, he would never meet Granger and have the chance to bring books