Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a dystopian novel that greatly focuses on the importance of books and censorship. Fahrenheit 451 pits the main character, Guy Montag, against his reality as he grasps what it truly means to live life. Fahrenheit 451 is characterized by constant tension and excitement; most notably through its characters. Fahrenheit 451 has many major characters each with their own unique traits, flaws, and relationships with one another.
The first character introduced into Fahrenheit 451 is Captain Beatty or ‘the captain’, who is responsible for Guy Montag’s training throughout the duration of Fahrenheit 451. He tells Montag about how “firemen” are created, including describing at length his job description. After Fahrenheit’s first meeting with the Captain, Fahrenheit meets Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse was Fahrenheit’s neighbor before Fahrenheit went off to be a fireman and came back an illiterate adult.
She is described as wearing “long smocks” which are said to hide her body because of how unattractive it has become after the “little war”. Fahrenheit frequently visits Clarisse for a conversation about anything including religion, science, or life. The last major character that Fahrenheit meets in Fahrenheit 451 is Mildred Montag, his wife who wants nothing more than to fit into society by having nice things such as new appliances and furniture. Fahrenheit’s relationships with other characters are significant throughout Fahrenheit 451. One example is relationship with his wife Mildred.
Fahrenheit cannot connect with his wife because he does not understand her constant need to have “the nice things”. Fahrenheit prefers to spend time with Clarisse instead of his own wife, which is seen as odd by other characters. Fahrenheit’s friendship with Beatty is also significant throughout Fahrenheit 451. Fahrenheit greatly admires Beatty for being the captain and preaches much of what Beatty does. However during Fahrenheit’s last meeting with Beatty Fahrenheit begins to doubt much about himself including whether or not he truly wants the job he has been doing for so long.
Fahrenheit 451 is set in the future, where books are outlawed and destroyed because of their potential to start war. The protagonist, Guy Montag, lives in a world that has lost touch with almost everything except superficiality. With his job as a fireman, he burns down houses that contain contraband literature. One day, however, he meets a young girl who wants to acquire books, and she changes his perspective on life. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper catches fire, but it also serves as a metaphor for the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery.
Montag becomes so enraptured with literature that he decides to hide away in an abandoned house until the girl, Clarisse McClellan, returns. She is a ‘subversive’ person who is unafraid to be different and is naturally curious about life. Her death prompts him to question the government’s position on literature and his role in enforcing it. Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Montag meets several people whose lives have been shaped by books. ” As they sat together at the table, he was struck by how much alike they were: brothers not cast from the same mold but sprung from the same motif.
Their eyes glittered behind their masks with an insect-like brightness. ” (pg 33) ” The old man laughed softly; his laughter had no bottom and went on forever. ” (pg 39) Montag – Aside from Clarisse, Montag is the only character in Fahrenheit 451 who possesses a developed identity. He retreats to an abandoned house after realizing that he has little in common with his wife because he loves books and she doesn’t. “Montag was already far down the track of his decision; now, at this final moment, he leapt clear. ” (pg 101) To him, Fahrenheit 451 is not about Fahrenheit degrees but Fahrenheit emotions – feeling one’s own feelings.
When Montag returns home from school without his mask on, Mildred calls for help. It’s significant that it’s not the fireman helping him but vice versa. This instance demonstrates how irresponsible society is because they expect young children to be responsible enough protect themselves against fires instead of requiring the government to make fire-proof masks. “She was a dry stick, a feather, a flimsy paper doll caught in an inferno. Her voice went on and on, a feebly protesting squeak. ” (pg 46) Mildred – Fahrenheit 451’s antagonist is Mildred Montag, whose main purpose in Fahrenheit 451 is to stand as contrast against Clarisse McClellan.
To start with, she doesn’t love books because of their content but for their value as decoration. In her opinion, “books were meant for burning”, even though it has already been established that they aren’t actually burnt due to lack of fuel. She maintains this distorted view despite being contradicted by herself when she says “I haven’t a single book in the place if it comes to that. ” (pg 17) Fahrenheit 451 alludes to Fahrenheit degrees as a degree at which paper catches fire. However, for Mildred, Fahrenheit 451 symbolizes the temperature at which her husband’s love melts away.
After Montag reads all Fahrenheit 451, Mildred begins an affair with another man and uses Fahrenheit 451 as an excuse because he knows she hates books. By doing so, she ensures that Montag will never find peace with his marriage again. “Don’t misunderstand me either – I don’t really care what you do… I’ve got my own problems and your books just confuse things by making people feel and think and wonder about all sorts of impossible things” (pg 191). “Was that the old woman – Mrs. Phelps – the one who sometimes came and rocked? She was not rocking now. ” (pg 191)
Mrs. Phelps – Fahrenheit 451’s main theme is censorship, but it also demonstrates how citizens are shaped by their environment. All of Montag’s neighbors are non-thinkers who rely completely on authority for guidance. Fahrenheit 451 illustrates the extent to which the government can control its citizens through technological advancement, which includes radios in their homes that automatically censor any controversial speakers. Similarly, Mrs. Phelps is a conformist who agrees with whatever her radio says because she doesn’t want to think for herself.
When Montag breaks into an abandoned building, he expects to find other runaway eccentrics like himself, but he finds Mrs. Phelps instead who explains that all the people in her neighborhood fled because they were afraid of Fahrenheit 451. Conclusion Fahrenheit 451 is Fahrenheit’s emotions: feeling one’s own feelings and disregarding what society wants them to feel. Montag and Clarisse are Fahrenheit characters: they think for themselves and recognize that censorship exists whereas Mildred and Mrs. Phelps are Fahrenheit degrees: controlled by authority, even when it contradicts itself.
