Fahrenheit 451 - The Fireman's a Hero. What do you know?

Yes, once again, the fireman is a hero. Unfortunately, this is a different kind of fireman, but nonetheless, he is a hero.  Guy Montag is the hero in the book. I noticed at the beginning of the book that once he started to think, he could not stop himself. His mind was overwhelmed by different thoughts and could not help but ponder everything. Even with that, he is pretty passionate when he believes something, and he gets frustrated easily too. When he discovered the wonder of books, his attempts to read and read made me think of him as a hero in this terrible future that Bradbury envisioned.

We can see him in the beginning of the book as he complains to himself about his “subconscious idiot that ran babbling at times" (Bradbury 11). Despite his irritation, if was not for his thoughts, he probably would have ignored Clarisse. Instead, the things she said made him curious, and he asks a whole lot of questions the next time they meet (Bradbury 21). Eventually, his interest in what Clarisse talked about turns into an interest in knowledge, which turns into an interest in books (Bradbury 51). His thoughtful nature is the driving force in the plot, because it puts him in conflict with the thoughtless society.

During one of their talks, Clarisse starts questioning him about being a fireman. After a little while he starts laughing nervously about it and gets defensive (Bradbury 8). He thinks that he very much loves being a fireman, and really does not want to hear anything that may even imply that it is wrong. He also thinks he loves his wife, and vividly objects when Clarisse teases him about not being in love (Bradbury 22). When he believes something, he defends it passionately, because he wants to feel passionately about it. Where that can be an irritating quality to some people, in this future, it is more than intriquing and appealing.

Another thing I noticed about Montag is that he gets frustrated really easily. He has a very short temper. When Clarisse asks him if he is happy, the question frustrates and bothers him (Bradbury 10). When his wife and her friends are watching the television thing, he gets so frustrated with their ignorance that he tries reading them poetry (Bradbury 100). He gets so frustrated that he can not stop himself from doing something stupid like that. He just gets so frustrated all of the time, and he really could not have helped getting found out. He has very defined emotions, and in this book, those emotions drive thoughts and personal opinions that are very rare. When he becomes passionate about books, he risks everything he has to learn more and more. I believe that in the society he lives in, that is a very courageous and heroic thing to do, given the consequences.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.