Relationships In Fahrenheit 451

The setting of the novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is set in a large unnamed city in November of 2053. The setting shifts to different places such as the fire-station, the characters’ houses, the scenes of fires, and the outdoors. The mood in this story is gloomy. The characters’ shallow relationships add to the feeling of sadness. They are disconnected and don’t show emotion. The marriage between Guy Montag, the main character, and his wife, Mildred, is very routine. It seems they don’t even love each other.
Although Guy Montag’s marriage is not romantic or passionate, it is his unhappiness that causes him to wonder about the other parts of his life. Montag is a thirty year old firefighter. He’s been a firefighter for ten years,

She asked all kinds of questions about the fires, the firemen, and why things happen in life. She wasn’t afraid of being different or asking personal questions. She also wasn’t afraid of answering Montag’s questions about her life. One evening while they were walking home Montag saw that all the lights were on in Clarisse’s house. This was unusual in this town, so Montag asked what was going on. Clarisse says, “‘ Oh, just my mother and father and uncle sitting around, talking’”(7). This led Clarisse to ask Montag about his own happiness. As he considered his happiness, he began to change even more. He shocked his wife and her friends by trying to get them to talk. When that didn’t work, he pulled out a hidden book and read poetry aloud. One of the women started to cry. Everyone got upset. Montag left and went to Faber’s house. From there he went to the firehouse. With the listening device in his ear from Faber, he argued with Beatty about why they burn books. After that, they got the call to go burn a house- Montag's house. His wife had put in the alarm. At the fire, Montag killed Beatty, two other firemen and the mechanical hound. As the house was burning, Montag ran to Faber’s house and watched the reports of the chase. Montag warned Faber to burn everything or else Faber would get killed. Faber gave Montag an old suitcase, old clothes, and alcohol. Montag ran towards the river where he could get

self. After meeting Clarisse and Faber, Montag realizes he is ignorant. Clarisse makes him realize that by saying, “‘There’s dew on the grass in the morning.’ He suddenly couldn’t remember if he had known this or not and it made him quite irritable”(7). He doesn’t understand why he burns books, or why books are so evil. He feels guilty about destroying books and letting a woman burn herself along with her books. Montag didn't understand why the woman chose to die with her books. He tried to talk to his wife about it. He said, “‘ There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there…”’(48). Montag is confused. He tried talking to Captain Beatty while having Faber listening and talking into his ear. He didn’t know who to believe. “Montag’s head whirled sickeningly. He felt beaten unmercifully…”(103). Captain Beatty continued to try and convince Montag that books are worthless when he says, “‘...What traitors books can be! you think they’re backing you up, and they turn on you…”’(104).
Montag is so torn that he has to make a decision. He can no longer keep burning books when he doesn’t understand why he is doing it. He continues to hide books in his home. He continues to read when he knows he’s in danger. Montag sees how his town and most of the people in it are brainwashed and just following the law without question. When he is discovered, he