Fahrenheit 451 is a novel that really opened mind my and got me thinking. The main character Montag is a fireman who starts fires and lives in a society filled with what looks like unhappy people. He seems to be surrounded by people who decided to conform to whatever everyone considers normal. From the beginning of the book to the end you can see Montag search for happiness and peace of mind.
The characterization used for Montag's character really helps us see the type of person he is. Early on in the book Montag appears to be like everyone else around him. He appears to have no emotion or empathy. Then came along a young girl named Clarisse who really made Montag question himself if he was happy. Then there was the house he burned down with an old woman inside it. Those two moments in the book are what caused Montag to really question his happiness with the life he was living. We really saw Montag show his emotions for the first time. Montag then went on a run for his life when he decided to find some type of happiness for himself.
Bradbury used metaphors as a form of figurative language in his book. One metaphor that stood out to me the most was when Montag told Mildred "Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave". Montag knows the rules and still decides to break them. He decides to open the book and read out loud. Montage knew that his life felt like a cave that he couldn't escape and at some point, it was just gonna collapse on him if he didn't do something about it. He was trying to find peace of mind in books after he came to reality with the society he lives in.
The plot development of the story also helps to see how Montag went in search of his happiness and peace of mind. From the start, we knew that Montag wasn't happy, but he didn't. His marriage, to begin with, wasn't even a marriage. His wife practically avoided him at all costs and did leave after all. Then it was when he didn't want to go to work anymore because he understood that job was wrong. He then went to search for someone who can really tell him the knowledge of the books he begins to admire. This is when Montage meets Faber an English Professor. Faber is the person who really opened Montag's eyes to what society is for them. Montag then begins to run for is life when the mechanical hound is sent to finish him. This leads him to a group that he kinda wants to relate to. The group of people appears to have knowledge of what Montag is looking for. In the end, Montag seems to happy with what he has done.
Characterization, figurative language, and plot development are the techniques Bradbury used to help us understand the theme throughout the story. Finding happiness and peace of mind doesn't come easy when it really shouldn't be something we have to look for. Maybe we need people who are open-minded to help us show us the way sometimes.
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