Knowledge vs Ignorance
In the book, Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is pleased with his job as a fireman, which
entails burning all illegally owned books and the houses they were found in. However, Montag
begins to question his career and his society. In Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the character Guy
montag is brave and inquisitive which contributes to the theme of knowledge vs. ignorance.
Guy Montag has lots of dimensions to him. He exhibits this through his rebellion actions
towards his society. Bravery plays a huge role in Guy’s decision making. One quote that proves
Guys bravery is, “Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from
making the same damn insane mistakes!” (74). Introducing the idea to bring back books at this
time was intimidating for most, yet he had the audacity to do so. He had the courage to stray
from the path that everyone around him has been following for decades. It is essential for
someone to be brave, or everything will stay the same. Not one person will take action to better
improve conditions of living without the trait of bravery. This instance contributes to the theme
of knowledge vs ignorance because before Montag’s call to action; he was knowledgeless.
Montag fell into the epitome of a normal citizen, which in this case was ignorant. After his
realizations, he starts becoming knowledgeable of the censorship the government has been using.
As a character, he is now essential to the advancement of a better atmosphere. Another quote
was, “One of them had to stop burning” (141). This is said when Montag is reflecting on his life
while being chased down by the government. This quote shows Montag came to the consensus
that burning has not fixed any problems. It had just created new problems, and reshaped other
conflicts. This is an act towards Montag’s bravery because he knows he has to change the
approach for settling conflict, and this is frightening. These thoughts were enlightening Montag,
giving him knowledge. Montag’s knowledge will set him above others, and he will need to ...
