Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of Guy Montag, a fireman whose job is to burn books that are considered dangerous. One night when Montag meets his neighbor Clarisse McClellan, she wakes him up and forces him to think about his life, happiness, ideals and why the society he lives in looks the way it does. He starts to realize what an empty life he has been living and begins to question why books are considered dangerous and burned. Montag's boss, Captain Beatty, notices his guilt and comes to visit him one day when Montag has called in sick. He explains why they burn books, how they bring all kinds of unwanted emotions, feelings and rebellion. Beatty claims that it is better if society conforms to collective thought, because it will be much less dangerous.
One day at work the fire crew is sent out to a house where a woman refuses to give up her books. When they burn down the house with all the books, the woman is still inside. Montag feels responsible for this and the event changes his life completely. He seeks the help of an old English teacher named Faber who he had once met. While Clarisse had helped him see how the world works, Faber is responsible for his full awakening. Faber teaches him what books really mean, the importance of literature and offers to guide him to take action towards his new ideas. Montag decides that he will never burn a book again. After a while his boss begins to suspect that he is hiding and collecting books and one day he is called out to burn down his own home. Montag refuses to follow the orders and tries to escape. The story continues with Montag on the run as a fugitive while the chase is broadcast live on television.
Fahrenheit 451 is an amazing book about the pitfalls of a society without individuality or reason, where people have lost their ability to think for themselves. Maybe what is most remarkable is that we may not even realize that society has become that way, or that we have become part of it, as is the case for the protagonist of this novel, Guy Montag. This book has been compared to George Orwell's 1984 and there are a lot of similarities. Both novels describe a society where individuals have little control of their own lives and thoughts. But I think that Fahrenheit 451 feels less dark and has a slightly more optimistic view, which makes it a more enjoyable read.
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