Is Guy Montag a Hero?

Who are heroes and what makes them heroes? Superman, Batman, and Spiderman are all thought to be heroes but they are fictional heroes. Firemen, policemen, and members of the military also are heroes. They are the living heroes of our society. But whether they are real or fiction, there are reasons why these heroes are thought to be heroes. They all have similarities. Their similarities are they make the right decisions and do things for the good of others. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is not a hero because he does not do things for the good of others.

A hero does not often kill. But if he does, there is a good reason. Usually the reason has to do with others being in danger. For instance if a robber has hostages and is threatening to kill them, a policeman might have to kill him in order to save innocent lives. Killing someone is always a last resort, when there are no more possible options. Anger is not a good reason. Montag did not kill Beatty out of consideration of what Beatty had done. He killed Beatty out of anger. And yes, Beatty was a bad person. He twisted words, burned without emotion, and teased others to their boiling point. But Montag killed Beatty because he was angry. He didn’t kill Beatty for the good of others. Yes, Beatty had hurt others but Montag killed him because of his emotions. Beatty had teased, “Speech away. What’ll it be this time? Why don’t you belch Shakespeare at me, you fumbling snob?” (Bradbury 119). Maybe Beatty disserved to die. But whether Beatty is a good person or a bad person, he was killed for the wrong reason. Montag killed for the wrong reason. He killed because of emotion and not of thought. A hero does not take a life because of his emotions. Montag took the life of a man, whether he disserved it or not, because of his emotions. If emotions get in the way of your thinking of what is right and wrong, then you are not a hero.

A true hero finds a way to do the right thing, without