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Misguided Hero In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

613 Words3 Pages

In the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses dynamic characterization to illustrate Montag, the protagonist, as a misguided hero. In the novel, a misguided hero is a character who has good intentions but unethical actions. Bradbury's use of character development and evolution conveys Montag in a heroic light. Firstly, Bradbury uses Montag's character development from apathetic to curious to illustrate him as a hero. On page 8, Montag describes his job, “It’s fine work.” (Bradbury) showing his indifference to what he does. Montag continues, “Monday burn Milay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner, burn ‘em to ashes,” (Bradbury 8) which expresses Montag’s careless regard for books. This displays Montag’s apathy towards not only books, …show more content…

After Mildreds’ attempted overdose, Montag explains, “I don’t know anything anymore” (Bradbury 18). This communicates Montag’s feelings of hopelessness and loss. Furthermore, Montag uses the word “anymore” which is ironic because he never knew anything to begin with. Montag lived an empty, mindless life that he was content with because he didn’t know anything better. “Anymore” is important because he only begins to realize the despair and hopelessness he feels after being exposed to Clarisse, his young neighbor, whose unconventional ideas broadened his perspective of society. This scene exposes Montag’s true feelings of hopelessness because he can’t do anything to help Mildred, showing a recurring internal conflict. This conflict makes Montag sensitive because he feels that his actions are responsible for the downfall of others, furthering his feeling of hopelessness. In comparison, Montag states, “But let me tell you my plan-” (Bradbury 85) when explaining his plan of hiding books in firemen's houses to Faber. This plan supplies Montag with a strong purpose and a sense of direction because he believes his actions will better society. However, this quote also reveals Montag’s misguided depiction. Montag’s plan gives him a familiar feeling of purpose, causing him to become obsessive and irrational. Montag’s would significantly decrease the respect and influence

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Foremost, Mildred helps Montag find himself. When Montag first realizes that there is no connection between him and Mildred he loses feelings for her. He soon realizes that their relationship is pushing each other apart. “And he thought of her lying on the bed with the two technicians standing straight over her, not bent with concern, but only standing straight, arms folded. And he remembered thinking then that if she died, he was certain he wouldn’t cry”(Bradbury 41).

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Beatty nodded. "But her friends turned in an alarm earlier, that I let ride. ”(Bradbury, 117). This shows that Mildred’s friends also see Montag as an extremist. With his house burnt down, his struggle to seek knowledge is greater.

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He pretended to be happy around people, when he really wasn’t happy. When having an argument with Mildred, Montag brings up his thoughts about books. He had “thought about books”. And for the first time I realized that a man was behind each one of the books.. A man had to take a long time to put them down on paper,” (49).

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The first line of dialogue that Montag says is “it was a pleasure to burn”(pg. 1), which elucidates that he is just like the rest of the society. Bradbury introduces both of these characters as ignorant so the reader is able to draw a similarity between the way Montag is illustrated in the first page and how Mildred is characterized throughout the novel. This aids in tracing Montag’s coming of age journey because as he gets enlightened, the reader is able to distinguish how his mindset starts to diverge further away from Mildred’s. At the very end of the second chapter leading into the beginning of the third chapter, Beatty orders Montag to burn his own house, and as Beatty is speaking to Montag, Mildred runs past them “with her body stiff”(pg. 108). Through the employment of body language, Bradbury implies that Mildred is the one that turned Montag in to

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