Fahrenheit 451 Quote Analysis Essay

Bradbury portrays how Montag’s perception of fire and burning books with his personal development changes by the different choices he makes throughout the novel. In the beginning of the book, Montag has a great passion and

Clarisse looks through Montag as if he was a clear window and simply tells him that he's not happy. Montag denies the fact that he isn't happy, until he thought deeper and longer about his happiness. ¨He felt his smile slide away, melt,

This scene happens relatively early on in the book, but it is one of the most important. Clarisse’s peculiarity interests Montag and makes him start to think. Clarisse asks Montag, out of the blue, “Are you happy?” Montag then starts thinking about his own happiness. He quickly becomes in denial.

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a uniquely shocking and provocative novel about a dystopian society set in a future where reading is outlawed, thinking is considered a sin, technology is at its prime, and human interaction is scarce. Through his main protagonist, Guy Montag, Bradbury brings attention to the dangers of a controlled society, and the problems that can arise from censorship. As a fireman, it is Guy's job to destroy books, and start fires rather than put them out. After meeting a series of unusual characters, a spark is ignited in Montag and he develops a desire for knowledge and a want to protect the books. Bradbury's novel teaches its readers how too much censorship and control can lead to further damage and the repetition of history’s mistakes through the use of symbolism, imagery, and motif.

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, Montag, the main character, goes from loving his job to rethinking of his job. Montag came in mind that his job not only hurt him but also hurt society. He began to realize that he no longer enjoyed his job. Montag did not like the fact of knowing that his job was only hurting other people.

Beatty, the firehouse captain, had been suspicious of Montag being in possession of literature. His dubious thoughts are found to be correct when Mildred turned Montag in. Montag is forced to go on the run, leaving the city for the countryside, where he finds other outcasted intellectuals. The city is bombed, leaving it completely destroyed and the society in ruins. The society Ray Bradbury creates in Fahrenheit 451 showcases how censorship is a threat to free thinking, society’s humanity, and human relationships through the use of imagery, symbolism and motifs.

First Clarisse comes into Montag's life, and immediately begins to question his relationship with his wife, his career, and his happiness. For example Clarisse states, You're not like the others. I've seen a few; i know. When i talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you

The book follows Guy Montag, a fireman who sets things on fire instead of put out fires. He enjoys his job until on one job an old woman decides to burn with her books rather than evacuate. Haunted by her death, Montag becomes confused on why books would mean so much to anyone. He then decides to find out for himself by reading books from a personal stash of stolen books. Montag has a personal revolution; he realizes the dangers of restricting information and intellectual thought.

“Did you know that once billboards were only twenty feet long? But cars started rushing by so quickly they had to stretch the advertising out so it would last” (pg.7, ch.1 The Hearth And The Salamander). I find this quote significant because it perfectly explains the lives of the people in this novel. Moving fast, not paying attention and for what? To die in a car crash at only 17?

From one of his first experiences with Clarisse, Montag feels something that he realizes he never felt before in his daily life. He ponders to himself, "How rarely did other people's faces take of you and throw back to your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought?" (Bradbury 8). What Montag is pondering about is how she behaved so attentive and natural towards

She is the first person who challenges Montag and gets him to truly think. She triggers Montag’s questioning of life, what he is doing, and his relationship with his wife Mildred. Upon their first encounter Clarisse begins asking Montag questions, questions about a time when firefighters put out flames not started them, a time when life was a bit slower. She asks, “Are you happy?” once Clarisse is home Montag responds, “Of course I’m happy.

From one of his first experiences with Clarisse, Montag feels something that he realizes he never felt before in his daily life. He ponders to himself, "How rarely did other people's faces take of you and throw back to your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought?" (Bradbury 8). What Montag is pondering about is how she behaved so attentive and natural towards him when they interacted, which was in fact, genuine social behavior.

As Montag strolling home one night, he spots Clarisse with her head tilted to the sky, seeing this Montag inquires to her as why she stay there facing the sky and she simply replies “I like to put my head back, like this, and let the rain fall in my mouth. It tastes like wine”(20). In the futuristic world that Bradbury creates, people who linger behind and smell the roses, much like Clarisse, seem crazy to the rest of society and fail to fit in with the crowd. She worries not about getting where she needs to go but focuses more on what was on the way. This leads Clarisse to seem mentally unstable and even she begins to believe it.

This quote is a prefect example of how Clarisse leaves Montag questioning his life, if he truly is happy and if his wife remembers the first

Clarisse asked Montag many questions asking like if he liked his job, and if fireman used to burn books back then. Clarisse also also asked if Montag ever read the books he burned. Another example is when Clarisse asked Montag “Are you happy?”. Montag did not give Clarisse any answers for any of these questions and ran inside his house. That night Montag said he could not stop thinking of Clarisse and what she had asked him.