How Does Guy Montag Change In Fahrenheit 451

The novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, focuses on the life of the character Guy Montag. In the beginning, Guy follows conformity and censorship just like everyone else; however, as time moves on, his ways of thinking change. He meets new people and experiences different situations that alter the way he views his society and censorship. People such as Clarisse and Beatty awaken feelings and thoughts that have long been subdued inside Montag. In addition, experiencing the murder of Beatty and the suicide of Mrs. Blake dramatically shape Montag. After years of following others, he finally learns to follow his own thoughts and beliefs. When Ray Bradbury introduces Guy Montag, he seems to be an average citizen with a somewhat typical

Montag does not socialize much with his wife or do much thinking of his own. In the world Montag lives, these are all normal tasks. Guy Montag acts as a typical working part of his society where his daily job involves censoring the world from books by burning them. When he burns books he feels true joy, not yet aware of the horribleness of his job. The text states, “It was a pleasure to burn” (Bradbury 1). Guy Montag clearly adores his job as a firefighter. As the novel continues on with the life of Montag, his views change as he questions his job and the way he lives. He realizes that his marriage contains no real love and that he is not truly happy. He also comes to find that books have value and society should be destroying them. Montag becomes braver and more aware, and he

Some of the life-altering people that present themselves in Montag's life are Clarisse and Beatty. Clarisse, the first strange person that Montag encounters, acts in ways that Montag has never seen before. She talks and laughs with her family, walks in the rain, and does not fit in. Montag has never seen someone so strange before; however, he can not help but become curious about Clarisse and her family. Montag questions why they can talk, laugh and sound so joyous, but he and his wife can barely even carry on a conversation without the TV walls interrupting. At one point Clarisse says, “Are you happy?” (Bradbury 7). This teenage girl and her one question bring Montag to realize that his life may not be a happy one after all. From his meetings with Clarisse and his observations of her family, Montag finds himself aware of the problems that surround him, causing him to end up pushing for a change. Although he does not realize it, Beatty also changes Montag. As soon as Beatty discovers that Montag has the itch to read a book, he does everything he can to assure Montag that books hold nothing important inside. After Beatty says this Montag only feels more of a need to find out for himself what the books he has burned for years could possibly contain. With Beatty’s indirect blessing to keep the book, Montag takes this as his opportunity to read and find out what makes them so special to some people. Beatty