The Analysis Of The Ray Bradbury’S Novel "451 Fahrenheit"
“451 Fahrenheit”, the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns.” Montag is a fireman in a society where books are illegal, and his job is to start fries, not put them out, and the fuel is the books. In Ray Bradbury’s novel 451 Fahrenheit, the protagonist Montag portrays some interesting characteristics, such as physical, emotional, and intellectual characteristics. The qualities really shine through and play a huge role in Bradbury’s novel. Montag’s physical description is was kept short, the author provided very few details, only enough for us to picture him. ‘He saw himself in her eyes, suspended in two shining drops of bright water, himself dark and tiny, in fine detail the lines about his mouth…”
The lack of details really helps us focus on his other, less obvious characteristics, those that more effect the story, with Montag living in the world he is, could he be happy? Could you? Throughout Bradbury’s novel Montag is confused, to say the least, on whether or not he’s happy or sad, right or wrong. His emotions are all over the place, “How do you get so empty? He wondered. Who takes it out of you?” In this quote he is talking about his wife, mildred, who throughout the story seems depressed and doesn’t seem to care about anything Montag is a very emotional man, he cares deeply about things and is different from others in his society.
Why, you might ask, because of his relationship with a strange girl named Clarisse. Montag himself always questioned things, like why people had books if they were illegal, why were they worth the risk? “Didn’t firemen prevent fires rather than stoke them up and get them going?” Always questioning things you have to think, is Montag weird, or smart. Montag’s intellectual characteristics really shined through the most, after meeting Clarisse early on in the book, a girl who was labeled weird and always asked why instead of how, only riled him up more.
Montag was the protagonist in a world where thinking for yourself basically was not allowed, everyone can agree that the “good guys” or the “heroes” of the story have it hard enough no? Now the protagonist’s in a story are often one of, if not the most complicated characters in a story, Montag certainly met this criteria as he was scared, but brave enough to plant his feet and say no, this is wrong and things should be different. Heroes don’t always have to be big and strong, to be a hero is to have the courage and bravery to do and say what is right, because it is right. Could you have done it if you were in Montag’s shoes? Could you have stood up against your society because it was the right thing to do? Could you have been a hero?
