Guy Montag's Transformation In Fahrenheit 451

To no longer be shackled by the expectations of society, is to be free. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the plot’s protagonist, Guy Montag, becomes a character who is able to dictate and express his true inner thoughts and feelings regarding society and its rules, regardless of the oppression of his dystopian reality. Montag’s journey is not only initiated by but also advanced by the influences and actions of certain characters and events throughout the novel, that ultimately lead to the new, more candid version of Montag. The Guy Montag found at the end of the novel has progressed to a point where he follows his own will and desires, listening and acting upon his own intuitions, because of the poignant and radical ideas presented

In the beginning of the novel the reader is welcomed to a cold, harsh, and supposedly dogmatist Guy Montag, detailed to only love what he is told to love. In fact, the first themes found in the beginning of the novel revolve around adherence to rules and cooperation with authority due these supposed character traits of Guy Montag. However, this characterization of Montag first begins to unravel with the introduction of Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse McClellan proposes thought provoking and esoteric questions to Montag that force him to reflect on his opinions and true emotions regarding his state of health as well as the health of his world. The question, “’Are you happy?’” (Bradbury 7) gives clear insight to the manner in which Clarisse was able to inspire the shift in Montag’s thought processes. The question clearly requires Montag to think about what he inherently desires and covets in life, which would force him to disregard the superimposed definitions of happiness and his ambitions. Clarisse is able to begin the shift in Montag because she is able to take Guy Montag’s guided perspective on the world and free him from it for the very first time. With this new freedom to explore his inner thoughts and emotions, Montag begins to understand the obvious plights in his society and how he

In this scene, he watches a criminal, in this society, decide to stay her books because of the value and importance they have for her. When Montag realizes the extent to which the personal desires and intuitions of the book woman influenced her decision, he understands the impact that self-guidance and personal intuition would have on his own life. Here is where Montag begins to understand the value and importance of listening to oneself, as the significance of the woman choosing to die for the happiness that she pursued shocks him into appreciating this new reality or truth. In fact, this scene is paramount of Montag’s ability to recognize the importance of himself as it shows him an example of the effects of giving value to oneself and how they ultimately lead to personal happiness. The burning of the book woman influences Montag to comprehend and understand the effects of following one’s goals and