Fire In Fahrenheit 451 Essay

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It starts small. It grows large. It dies out. It rekindles. It grows large. It dies out. It rekindles. It grows small. It dies out. It is over. The phases of fire depend on who is caring for it. Is someone looking over it? Is someone adding logs or leaves when it is dying out? Is it rekindled with a match? Fire is in the hands of the beholder. One can control how he or she handles fire. Fire can do a number of things. It can demolish everything known to man. It can give warmth. It can give light. It can purify. In a society in which fire is an essential to man, the interpretations of it may vary. Fire can be seen as a destruction method that benefits society and generally makes people happier. Fire can be seen as a destruction method that ruins society and takes away people’s knowledge and happiness. Fire can be seen as a method of renewal and purification of the past. The main protagonist, Guy Montag, in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, is a dynamic character whose understanding of fire drastically changes throughout the novel.
A model citizen in the dystopian society Bradbury constructed is molded to view fire in a specific way. The public is led to believe that books must be forbidden to prevent quandaries. Eliminating books from the society leaves the community with an emptiness of knowledge and happiness. Fire allows the government to get rid of all the books. The firemen annihilate the hidden or leftover prohibited books. As a loyal fireman, Guy Montag takes pride in his ability to burn books as a living. The beginning of the novel focuses around Montag as a strong supporter of the conflagration of books. Montag has yet to notice the detrimental effects the burning of books is ultimately having on society. To Montag, “It was...

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... is running smoothly, and that the burning of books is perfectly acceptable. Towards the middle of the book, Clarisse makes Montag question his beliefs about society. He finally sees what a model citizen is, and decides not to be one. Professor Faber pushes Montag away from being a fireman. In the end of the novel, Granger shows fire in a way Montag has never seen. Fire is seen as both a chance to destroy and renew. Granger introduces the Phoenix and its similarities to the society. He explains how the society constantly is making the same mistakes just like the Phoenix did. Granger, full of hope, makes the decision to rebuild the city. All of Granger’s views influence Montag greatly. Guy Montag’s understanding of fire changes dramatically throughout the novel from it being a destructive element of society to it being a chance of hope and a new, non-regulated life.

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