Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451'

A world where books are illegal and must be burned that ISN’T Nazi Germany? What? Yes, it may sound crazy, but a world full of book burning is the basis of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury writes a spectacular story about a firefighter(named ironically, given they start fires instead of putting them out) that wants to enjoy his life by reading. The story offers the idea that it’s main protagonist, the bored-with-life Montag, dares to break an ill placed law. The protagonist of Fahrenheit 451 is Montag, a man who carries out the law at his job where he burns books. Despite the fact he has a good job and a wife, Montag feels empty on the inside. Montag even tells his wife, “‘I don’t know what it is. I’m so damned unhappy, I’m so mad, and I don’t know why”(Bradbury 61-62). Montag is angry and confused, he’s going through a “midlife crisis” as the real world would
The overall theme of Fahrenheit 451 is that people should dare to break stupid rules and not yield to them. Almost every real-life example of a “hero” is someone that broke the rules to better the world. From MLK, to Joan of Arc, to George Washington, the real world loves rule breakers, which is the point Bradbury is trying to make. Montag shows nonconformity and rule breaking by seeking out a knowledge of reading in an anti-book society. Montag finds help in Faber, an extremely perceptive man who can read. Montag finds Faber and tells him, “‘I can get books.’ ‘You’re running a risk.’ ‘That’s the good part of dying; when you’ve got nothing to lose, you can run any risk you want’(Bradbury 81). Montag is at a point where he will barter with illegal items to learn to read. Both Montag and Faber are breaking the law and providing the other with the resources necessary to continue. Montag was an avid rule follower until he decided to spice up his life with books(thus pointing out the minor theme of “people should