Fahrenheit 451 Literary Analysis Essay

Set in twenty-fourth century America, Montag, the protagonist of Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, is on a quest to find meaning in his life. The story starts with him almost immediately showing signs of declined faith in his work as a “fireman,” as well as in society in general. A young woman, named Clarisse, which he meets on the street one day, inspires him. Clarisse may be a metaphor for “the good still left in the world.” She has a very different view of the world and contributes her knowledge to books.

Montag is married to a shell of human, Mildred. She betrays Montag by selling him out to the “firemen,” resulting in him having to burn his house down because of the books he had been harboring. If Montag’s wife had been more like Clarisse, maybe things would have gone differently.

The “firemen’s” duty is to destroy knowledge and promote ignorance. Ignorance leads to everyone having a fear of books, and even causing them to act hostile towards them.

In the world of Fahrenheit 451, people want to be considered equal, so books are banned so that “minorities” do not feel offended. People will not feel inferior to those that have read more, or know more than they know. People in the world of Fahrenheit 451 are so ignorant to what is going on that they do not even know themselves. They have been brainwashed by advertisements and television programs that invade every waking moment of their life. Montag’s wife does not even know that she tried to commit suicide at the beginning of the book.

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