Montag Changes In Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury, is a classic in today’s literature. Fahrenheit 451 is possibly our predicted future for society. During the Novel, Montag, the main character, undergoes many changes influenced by many factors, such as, personal experiences, major events, and influential characters. Montag’s character starts off as someone apart of society who later turns into someone who is totally opposed to it.
Many characters in the novel influence Montag’s change that occurs within him. Before he meets any of the other influential characters the first statement made by Montag is “It was a pleasure to burn,” in this he is referring to how he finds enjoyment in burning books.(Bradbury 1) Soon Montag is introduced to the character Clarisse
McClellan. Clarisse is the character that truly begins Montag’s change, she sets it up for him. Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy, and for the first time in his life our main character realizes “He [is] not happy.”(Bradbury 9) As his interactions with Clarisse increase he soon longs to be like her; wanting to laugh and actually enjoy himself for once, “Let me come in, I won’t say anything. I just want to listen. What is it you’re saying.”(Bradbury 15)
Over time, Montag truly becomes submerged in the changing progress. Once the character gets his opportunity to read, he takes it. He’s breaking the tie from his “old-self”. “And I want you to teach me to understand what I read,” this quote not only shows his thirst to read but, also his hunger for knowledge. This hunger grows inside him more and more with every waking moment. “Even he could feel the start of the long journey, the leave taking, the going away from the self he had been,” Montag is clearly no longer his “old-self” he once was at the beginning of the novel.(Bradbury 99)
Montag’s final changes that truly show are mainly conducted through his own actions. On page 133 Montag finally reaches the river where it almost depicts the character being baptized, “He waded in and stripped in darkness to the skin, splashed his body, arms, legs, and head…”(Bradbury 133) This shows Montag almost “washing” away his “old-self”. Also throughout the third part pf the book Montag is constantly saying “God” and “Christ” also leading to believe the river scene symbolizes Montag being baptized and being transformed into his “new-self”. The author even points out “He was moving from an unreality that was frightening into a reality that was frightening into a reality that was frightening into a reality that was unreal because it was new,” this points out the final change in Montag being complete.(Bradbury 133)
Influential characters, major events, and personal experiences lead to Montag's astonishing change. In the novel a phoenix is mentioned many times. A phoenix is born then as it ages it hits a mark in its life causing it to go up in flames and being reborn once again from it’s ashes. Like the phoenix Montag is once reborn in this novel, he comes back wiser and more beautiful than ever. This Novel tends to be telling the future, now a days, you don’t find kids reading books, you find them getting the summary of the books of websites. This book could be viewed as a wake up call, before we all go up in flames.
Many characters in the novel influence Montag’s change that occurs within him. Before he meets any of the other influential characters the first statement made by Montag is “It was a pleasure to burn,” in this he is referring to how he finds enjoyment in burning books.(Bradbury 1) Soon Montag is introduced to the character Clarisse
McClellan. Clarisse is the character that truly begins Montag’s change, she sets it up for him. Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy, and for the first time in his life our main character realizes “He [is] not happy.”(Bradbury 9) As his interactions with Clarisse increase he soon longs to be like her; wanting to laugh and actually enjoy himself for once, “Let me come in, I won’t say anything. I just want to listen. What is it you’re saying.”(Bradbury 15)
Over time, Montag truly becomes submerged in the changing progress. Once the character gets his opportunity to read, he takes it. He’s breaking the tie from his “old-self”. “And I want you to teach me to understand what I read,” this quote not only shows his thirst to read but, also his hunger for knowledge. This hunger grows inside him more and more with every waking moment. “Even he could feel the start of the long journey, the leave taking, the going away from the self he had been,” Montag is clearly no longer his “old-self” he once was at the beginning of the novel.(Bradbury 99)
Montag’s final changes that truly show are mainly conducted through his own actions. On page 133 Montag finally reaches the river where it almost depicts the character being baptized, “He waded in and stripped in darkness to the skin, splashed his body, arms, legs, and head…”(Bradbury 133) This shows Montag almost “washing” away his “old-self”. Also throughout the third part pf the book Montag is constantly saying “God” and “Christ” also leading to believe the river scene symbolizes Montag being baptized and being transformed into his “new-self”. The author even points out “He was moving from an unreality that was frightening into a reality that was frightening into a reality that was frightening into a reality that was unreal because it was new,” this points out the final change in Montag being complete.(Bradbury 133)
Influential characters, major events, and personal experiences lead to Montag's astonishing change. In the novel a phoenix is mentioned many times. A phoenix is born then as it ages it hits a mark in its life causing it to go up in flames and being reborn once again from it’s ashes. Like the phoenix Montag is once reborn in this novel, he comes back wiser and more beautiful than ever. This Novel tends to be telling the future, now a days, you don’t find kids reading books, you find them getting the summary of the books of websites. This book could be viewed as a wake up call, before we all go up in flames.