A Changed Man Essays

A Changed Man Essays A Changed Man Essay A Changed Man Essay Essay Topic: Fahrenheit 451 A Changed Man Christian McDaniel Mrs. Rush English 10 17 October 2013 A Changed man A man trapped in a dystopian world where people are forced to obey certain laws he is told to follow. Some may struggle to get away from what they want to teach while most will follow the leader who tells them what they should be. These people are trapped in a society that forces them to act on the terms that they give. People are basically forced to be a mindless zombie that has not have a say so in what happens in the society. In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a perfect xample of a dystopian world with people who follow it and the others who want to escape from it. A man named Montag is the main character or protagonist of the story. In this story it is the twenty-fourth century and books have been banned by the society from ever being read. In this era of time Montag is known as a firemen but not the one most people would think of. Instead of putting out fires the firemen are there to start them. The firemens main Job is to burn all books. Montag is at first one of the many people who are sucked into a world they dont understand but never ask questions to clear things up. Although Montag undertakes in a callous, apathetic, and weak- minded stage at first, he starts to see the truth behind his world and pushed to recognize the real problems in his world. Montag was a happy man at first. He had a home, a Job that required him to burn books and a wife, Mildred. Montag was about to be promoted after 10 years of firefighting by his captain, Beatty. Clarisse is the first initial spark to set off Montags mind. Do you ever read any of the books you laughed. Thats against the Of course (Bradbury 8). This is what Montag and Clarisse talk about that causes Montag to actually think for once. Clarisse seemed to have different feelings for Montag than the other firefighters she tried to talk to. He found her peculiar but she had a point to what she was saying. She may have looked 17 but to Montag her words made her seem much older. It was Clarisses last question that got Montag really frustrated. Are you happy? (Bradbury 14). This made Montag really think about whether or not he was really providential with not only himself but in his time and way of life. Montag was extremely confused and thought maybe the answers were somewhere he never looked before like a book. This was Montags next big step in many more dangerous ones. After one of his raids to burn some books he took one home and hid it under his pillow. The next day Beatty suddenly appeared to visit Montag at home. A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon (Bradbury 58). This is how Beatty explains to Montag how books are really bad. Beatty feels that the world is better off without the books interrupting and ruining your day. He sees it as a burden to read them. Montag still had a melancholy tendency in him; still not satisfied with himself he keeps searching for answers. Montag then took an even bigger step then before. He showed his wife and explained hat he was unhappy. Mildred did not take this lightly. She was immediately startled and afraid of them and wanted them to be gone. Listen. Give me a second, will you? We cant do anything. We cant burn these. I want to look at them, at least look at them once (Bradbury 70). Without Mildred Montag started reading the books that he had taken. Later in the book Montag meets a man named Faber who he thinks may be the answer to his problems. We have everything we need to be happy, but we arent happy. Somethings missing (Bradbury 82) Faber gives Montag his address. Montag meets Faber at his house to discuss what he should really do. If there were no war, if there was peace in the world, Id say fine, have fun! But, Montag, you mustnt go back to being Just a fireman. All isnt well with the world (Bradbury 87) Faber doesnt tell Montag what he has to do but tells him he has to make the choice himself. He can choose to part of those who know they are alive or be the people who follow what they are told to do. Montag agreed to follow Faber and his ways. Faber gave Montag a seashell-like communication device and said that he would read to him every night. Following this event Montag went home where Mildred had some friends over. Montag went on to read them a book. After awhile and when he was finally done Mildreds friends were deeply disturbed by the book. Mildred was frustrated with Montag and the books and said she wanted them gone but Montag said that he needed them. The worst of Montags misfortune was yet to come. Montag was at work and the alarm to burn some books had gone off. Montag went through the same procedures he always went through. They got on the truck and they were off. Montag had no clue where they were going. When the truck had finally stopped Montag realized where they were. Why, said Montag slowly, weve stopped in front of my house (Bradbury 113). Montag for a long while thought to himself. He couldnt believe that he was in front of his house. He didnt even say a word while Beatty, who seemed to be somewhat satisfied, went on giving a speech on how he messed up. But Montag noticed that Mildred was leaving the house to get into the car. Mildred, you didnt put in the alarm! (Bradbury 116). Mildred left the scene and never returned. Beatty told Montag that he had to burn down his own house and that he would be arrested afterward. Montag proceeded to burn everything down. When he was finished Montag and Beatty got in a little altercation and Montag ended up hooting Beatty with the flamethrower and killing him. Montag knew he had to escape the area before the cops could get to him so he had to flee somewhere. When he was running Montag decided he better go to Fabers house for advice and he was the last person he could trust. Faber told him he had to make it to the forest. Montag was successful in making it to the forest and escaping the cops. Montag began feeling, touching, and overall understanding the area around him and realized something. He walked on the track. OAnd he was surprised to learn how certain he suddenly was of a single fact he could not prove. nce, long ago, Clarisse had walked here, where he was walking now (Bradbury 147). Montag had finally felt different feeling than what he had at the beginning of the book. Montag really has become a changed man. Montag made choices that werent in his best intentions but he was a new and better person. It may seem like he lost everything but he has gained something more important than any item in the world and that is his own logic. His opinion. His ordeal. The choices he made, he made on his own and no one else can take that from him. Montag now knows that he is alive and he is proud to know this.