Montag's Betrayal In Fahrenheit 451

Mildred’s betrayal of Montag is complete, and he realizes that she will soon forget him as she drives away, consoling herself with her Seashell radio. Montag does not feel particularly angry at her, however; his feelings for her are only pity and regret.
This part of the novel is dominated by the final confrontation between Montag and Beatty. Beatty’s ironic self-awareness, his understanding that his choices have not made him truly happy, seems to grow throughout the novel, and it comes to the surface in his final scene, when his behavior seems deliberately calculated to result in his own death.
Montag remains emotionally detached in this section. He enjoys burning his own house as much as he enjoyed burning those of others, and he begins to

agree with Beatty that fire is removing his problems. He imagines Mildred and his whole previous life under the ashes, and feels that he is really far away and that his body is dead. Moreover, he claims that it is not exactly he who commits Beatty’s murder—he cannot tell if it’s his hands or Beatty’s reaction to them that spurs him to the act. Beatty is described as no longer human and no longer known to Montag when he catches fire. Again, like so many other things in the novel, fire has two contradictory meanings at once. It represents Montag’s subjugation and his liberation, and he achieves his final emancipation by abusing its power. Murder is, after all, a far worse crime than book burning. Only later does Montag acknowledge what he has done and feel some remorse for his actions.