Pivotal Moments In Fahrenheit 451

Several books are able to exemplify the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity. One such novel is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, also known as a bildungsroman. This novel portrays the development of a fireman named Guy Montag whose job is to destroy all books that remained in the country. Though, one day he witnesses an old woman being burnt alive while protecting her beloved books. This event is a pivotal moment in his psychological development because it questions his preconceived mindset on the idea of burning books. This single moment is able to shape the meaning of the work as a whole. In Ray Badbury’s Fahrenheit 451, a single moment is able to serve as a turning point in the novel, allowing for psychological

Montag has a different mindset in the beginning of the novel than he does towards the end of the novel. Before the pivotal moment occurs that alters his development, Montag believes highly in the idea of burning books. He is very similar to every other firefighter in the idea of eliminating all books in the country because they are of no importance and have no beneficial meaning. The meaning of the novel prior to his character development would have been supporting the elimination of literature do to their lack of benefits for society. After the burning of the woman and her books occurs, Montag experiences psychological development and begins to support the use of literature in society due to its positive affects on all people. He turns his power against the firefighters, proclaiming that they, “never burned right” (119). This statement expresses his change in maturity which has a major affect on the meaning of the novel by the end of the book. Montag is finally able to find his place on Earth. This quote shapes the work and expresses the new meaning found in the work: knowledge is more powerful than the ignorance gained by burning books. The pivotal moment in this bildungsroman completely alters the development of both the characters and the events, which leads to a different intention being expressed. Because of Montag’s development into maturity when recognizing his place in the world, the book is affected in terms of the meaning and