Ray Bradbury, one of the most prolific science-fiction authors of the 20th century, wrote of the complexities of the human condition in his novel Fahrenheit 451. Montag, the protagonist, is a dutiful servant of his society, and is perfectly content with his life. He lives with his wife, Mildred, and they are well off and their lives appear to be fulfilled and untroubled. After a chance encounter with a curious girl named Clarisse, Montag’s perception of aspects of his world, specifically his happiness and the happiness of the people around him, changes considerably, and his life is forever transformed. Through a journey of questioning, analysis of his society, and contemplation, Montag’s idea of happiness develops throughout the novel until he reaches a state of understanding. The novel begins with a shocking introduction to Montag and his life, and the reader is introduced to his interpretation of happiness. Montag is a fireman; however, the definition of a …show more content…
After a series of conversations with Clarisse, a girl he meets by pure happenstance, along with her simple question of “Are you happy?” (7), Montag begins to examine his definition of happiness and his very existence. He begins to realize that he is contributing to the destruction of knowledge, without thought of consequence. “He was a victim of concussion. When it was all over he felt like a man who had been thrown from a cliff, whirled in a centrifuge, and spat out over a waterfall that fell and fell into emptiness and emptiness and never--quite--touched--bottom--never--never--quite--no not quite--touched--bottom...and you fell so fast you didn’t touch the sides either...never...quite...touched...anything” (45). Faced with the realization that he carries a false image of happiness, Montag falls into a confused state of mind. Suddenly, his understanding of a basic necessity of human life is blown