The Transformations of Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451 The main protagonist in the book, Guy Montag, is a transformative figure. He changes from being a slave to the rules of the society to an independent thinker, who believes in the power of freedom. His transformation in the book is inspired by the search for knowledge and happiness, a condition which would result in the liberation of himself and eventually his society. At the beginning of the book, Montag assumes the role of an obedient civil servant who is dedicated to following the commands coming from his superiors. As a firefighter, he shows a particular pleasure in following the commands in which he is asked to burn the books banned by the law. For example, he readily obeys the call to go and burn the house and books of an old woman, Ms. Hudson, who was discovered with the forbidden copies (37). Montag shows obedience at this stage because he is not aware of the censorship that the authorities have put in place to limit the intellectual capacity of society. In essence, he thinks that he is happy because he likes his professional activities and obligations. In the book, Bradbury puts him in a position in …show more content…
The people surrounding him at the beginning of the book are eliminated within its development and new ones are introduced. For example, Montag’s company in the earlier parts of the books includes his wife (Mildred), who represents his mundane, rote life and his colleague (Beatty), representing mindless decision-making. The two are eventually eliminated from his life, as they represent his previous way of thinking. As the book progresses towards the end, Montag starts developing a rekindled friendship with Faber. In addition, he meets the group of outlaws at the river and makes a close friendship with Grenger. He agrees to work with Montag and help him heal and restore freedom to their society