Fahrenheit 451 Summary

Barbara Witten
Fahrenheit 451 Summary
June 5, 2013
English with Research
Spring 2013

This summary is on the book, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. The setting of the book takes place in the future. A man by the name of Guy Montag is a fireman from the future. His job as a fireman is too burn every book and or reading material that people own in their homes. A fireman’s job in this book is not like the job of the fireman in today. Rather than put a fire out they start fires. Montag never questioned his job until he met a young in the neighborhood where he lived by the name of Clarisse. Montags life was about going to work and returning home to a boring unquestioned life. His wife Mildred spent her days with her television that she referred to as “family’. Clarisse told Montag about the past where people didn’t live in fear, and how people sat around outside speaking of old stories from books on the older generations. She filled his head with hope and knowledge. Clarisse said the televisions which were referred to as “family” now, are really not family at all. All these stories excited Montag so he started feeling like he was missing out on this wonderful world of books and knowledge which was a crime in that world. As a fireman his job was to destroy these thoughts and dreams that people had about books but somehow Clarisse made him question why he was destroying all these wonderful stories of the world. Clarisse on day disappeared and Montag was confused and wondered if it was his fault for her disappearance. He started hiding books in his home and he went to find a man he remembered as a teacher from long ago. He once burned books of his, this man became his friend and started helping Montag understand books. Montag started not wanting to go to work and his boss Beatty knew what was going, once years ago he had the questions about his job. So he tried to talk to Montag about it and encouraged him to forget about books and focus on his job. Montag wasn’t listening, in fact Montag told his wife about the books hid in the house and she got real scared and demanded he get rid of them. That night Beatty sent the dog out looking for books and people hiding them. Montag was at the fire house when the alarm went off and it led them to Montags House. Beatty made Montag burn his own house down and Montags wife left him there alone to destroy their home while she drove away. Beatty handed Montag the flame throwing, Montag burned his house and turned and killed Beatty as well. He went running away hiding from the law, and found a group of men in hiding as well. All these men where teachers, lawyers etc. who also didn’t believe in the way the law and government where enforcing the destruction of all books. Each one had a book memorized and look forward to the future when they could teach again about the history of our world. They welcomed the ex-fireman into their group and helped him remember his favorite book so he too could teach the new generations of the history.