Fahrenheit 451 outlines the life of a fireman

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Fahrenheit 451 outlines the life of a fireman Introduction

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel that was published in October 19, 1953 by Ray Bradbury from California. It is a gripping as well as poetic story that takes pulp fiction materials and modifies them to create visionary parable depicting a society which has lost touch a sense of direction. It is set in a society with firemen who burn books while the state suppress restricts learning.

Fahrenheit 451 outlines the life of a fireman called Guy Montag. At the beginning, Montag likes his job as a fireman, which entails burning books that are illegally owned as well as the book owner’s homes. He however develops friendship with Clarisse McClellan, his neighbor aged 17 years. Clarisse combines inquisitive nature and humanistic outlook which prompts Montag to take a closer look at his life. He realizes that he is not happy with his life and does not love Millie his wife. His wife however lives in the unreal world immersing herself in seashell radio, interactive television and is addicted to tranquilizers. Frustrated by his profession and the less-concerned nature of the society, Montag starts questioning the world he is living. He specifically cannot tell why the state considers the books as so dangerous. He also wonders why some individuals would be so loyal to the books. Could books be having some king of power?

His curiosity is compounded he goes to accomplish his duty as a fireman. An old woman who owns the books that he wants to burn chooses to die with them rather than live without them. The woman actually refuses to out of the house and instead sets her kerosene-soaked house on fire remaining in it as she is destroyed together with her house. It is at this time that the Montag realizes that maybe the happiness that has been so elusive in his life may be hidden in books. He steels one book from the woman’s burning collection.

After this episode, Montag realizes that as much as he may have thought that he was lending his service to the society, he actually was more of a destroyer. Later on that night as he discusses the events with Millie, he learns of the death of Clarisse his friend. This makes him even sicker in which case he falls asleep with the stolen book under his pillow.

Montag is definitely disconcerted with his life and Captain Beatty, his boss seems to know the struggle that Montag is going through. He also suspects that Montag possesses some books and therefore lectures him about how offensive books are as well as how superior the society they currently live in is to the past society which encouraged free thought and the expression of differing opinions. After the meeting with Beatty, Montag retrieves 20 books he has been stealing over the years and starts reading them. He also fosters some friendship with an old man known as Faber who at first won’t talk to him as he fears that he may fall victim to the fireman.

At one time, Montag is disgusted with Millie and her friend who can’t do anything but gossip and idle around. Against Faber’s warning, he engages in a debate with them and even reads them some books about the eminent atomic war. Later on he goes to work hiding the books in his backyard. Later on, the firemen are sent to a book burning assignment. Montag is shocked to learn that he is the victim this time round. Millie had reported him and therefore his house will be burned. He actually executes this himself following the orders of captain Beatty. Later on a scuffle ensues between the two men after the captain chides him. Montag ends up killing his boss and runs to Faber’s. On his way there, news reaches him that the atomic war has been declared. He manages to escape from the police pursuing him but witness as another innocent victim is killed in the pretext that it is Montag. He comes across former clergymen, academics and writers as he escapes. He lives with these people who he is informed have memorized voluminous literary works hoping to one day re-write them when it is finally safe to do that. When the city is destroyed by the atomic bombs, the men sift start from the scratch again intending to build a society in which free thought and books can flourish.

In my opinion, the novel is more or less related to the future of the United States of America. Unfortunately, people have turned a blind eye and been tranquilized thus ignorant of the impending danger of the future. The citizenly like the Millie in the novel have taken on a media-saturated and drug induced indifference to the happenings.

In the novel, Montag falls victim to the same game he used to play on other people as a neighbor. This implies that if only he had been more aware of the neighbor’s plight, chances are that he could not have fallen into a similar predicament later on. By turning a blind eye on the predicament of other countries as well as some of its components, the fall of the United States seems eminent. There is however hope in the fact that a just society will be built later on which will encourage freedom of expression and thought.

Conclusion

While Fahrenheit may have been science fiction, its poetic prose serves as a warning as to the consequences that may befall not only the united states but other countries as well when they stand aside and become indifferent to the plight of other countries.