Character Analysis: Fahrenheit 451 Michael Wainwright

Set in a world without literary wisdom, Fahrenheit 451 by legendary science-fiction author Ray Bradbury is the story of those who would dare to break free from the chains of censorship and intellectual repression. Against a climate of intense information control, Bradbury focuses in on the psychological conflicts of one man, the fireman Guy Montag, and the internal struggles that result from his interactions with the sterile world around him. In a sense, each character can be interpreted as representing a different facet of society, from the utterly obedient book burner, Beatty, to the free spirited teenager, Clarisse. Despite the fact that the world Bradbury confronts his readers with is unfathomably futuristic, the characters are clearly human, serving as a successful link between contemporary readers and the authorâs vision of the 24th century.

Bradburyâs brilliantly written protagonist in this novel is Guy Montag, a thirty-year-old, third generation fireman, who is appropriately named after a prominent paper-manufacturing company. At first glance the term âfiremanâ? may bring to mind images of courage or heroism, but the firemen of the 24th century have a much more sinister role in society - rather than putting fires out,...