Farenheit 451

Guy Montag is a man favoured, almost exalted by the establishment at the beginning of the book. He is a man that starts fires to protect the ideology of the time. Montag, in fact, quite enjoyed his job, "It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed." Montag fancies himself a conductor of a symphony burning the old to keep alive the new. He has a "fierce grin" of pleasure as he ignites the kerosene to incinerate what was once thought to be beautiful. Montag revels watching the flames turn old paper into ash. He fantasizes about roasting marshmallows during his bonfire of destruction.