Foil Characters In Fahrenheit 451

When Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, he created several characters that seem to foil each other. These characters have different ideas on the importance of things such as society, happiness, knowledge, and the government. Though some of their opinions differ, there are some similarities in what they represent. There are several characters that oppose each other in the novel but think or act alike. At first, it seems like Captain Beatty, the captain of the firemen, and Guy Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, share many of the same opinions about books and morality. However, as Montag struggles to make the right decision, the relationship between the two firemen develops, and there is a more obvious opposition between them. Their thoughts

We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought. We have our fingers in the dike. Hold steady. Don't let the torrent of melancholy and drear philosophy drown our world. We depend on you. I don't think you realize how important you are, we are, to our happy world as it stands now'” (Bradbury 62).

He tries to make the banishment of all means of significant information collected over the years sound like a good thing to the men that work for him. Although the rest of society, including his own wife, might believe the Captain, the wisdom that Clarisse shared with Montag before she was run over by a car allows him to see that what the firemen do is right in the eyes of some and wrong in the eyes of others. The guilt of burning the old woman who kept books in her attic weighs down on Montag, as well as the guilt of hiding a stolen book, so he goes to visit Professor Faber, an old man he met in a park. At first, the professor was afraid that he would be turned in to the firemen for reading, but Montag is kind to him. Faber had on the fireman nearly the same effect that Clarisse had; Montag yearns to learn more about this way of life that he, as a fireman, has never considered. It takes some bargaining, but eventually Montag is able to get Faber to agree to assist him in his plan to bring books back. Shortly after Montag arrives, Faber tells him

The public itself stopped reading of its own accord. You firemen provide a circus now and then... hardly necessary to keep things in line. So few want to be rebels any more. And out of those few, most, like myself, scare easily'” (Bradbury 87).

This helps Montag realize that Captain Beatty was lying when he tried to make him believe that the firemen were the only thing holding the country together. With all of these things that Montag has learned about the preservation of knowledge, he knows that Beatty, as well as the government, has been lying to him and everyone around him. His opinions differ from Beatty's completely at this point. The only thing Beatty and Montag can seem to agree on is a way of erasing problems. Beatty thought that the solution to all problems was to burn them. After Montag kills the Captain with the flamethrower to prevent the firemen from finding Faber, he reflects on the method of the man he recently looked up to as a figure of authority and dignity; as people come out of their houses all over the neighborhood and the police sirens sound, he thinks to himself, “...you're not a problem now. You always said, don't face a problem, burn it. Well, now I've done both. Good-bye, Captain” (Bradbury