Fahrenheit 451 Quote Analysis

In the beginning of Fahrenheit 451, Montag is introduced as a firefighter. Every firefighter wears a helmet with the number 451 on it which symbolizes the degree at which books burn. Montag had always enjoyed the pleasure of burning books. The second line of the book says, “It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed.” The joy of burning books and houses never escaped him, even at night when he went to sleep.
One night after he hung up his helmet and slid down the golden pole, he began to walk home. But that night was different than most. He could feel someone just around the corner on the sidewalk. When he finally braced the corner, he saw her. Clarisse was outside walking, watching her shoes stir the
He quickly stopped at Faber's house, gave him $100, and took some of Faber's old clothes. He kept running until he saw the river, he decides to change into his extra clothes and “walks out in the river until there was no bottom and he was swept away in the dark.” When he found a railroad track, he decided to follow it. He found a group of people who memorized books. They show him that some random citizen had been killed in his place since Montag lost the hound at the river. The group's leader, Granger, then introduces him to the others in the group. Later on in the story, when Montag’s city gets destroyed by bombs, the group decides to head back to the city. Their plan is to bring hope to the city and replenish it with the knowledge they have of books. In short, when Montag meets Clarisse, his world begins to change. She leads him to begin to think about everything. In the beginning, Montag just goes with the flow and doesn’t question anything. But as the book goes on, his curiosity expands. He collects books and begins to read. Montag begins to question his line of work and the connection he has with his wife. In the end, Montag ends up in a better state of mind, and is willing to help others learn what Clarisse taught