Fahrenheit 451

While reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in school, I have noticed and become more aware of the different themes, purposes for writing, and satire used throughout the story. The book is about Guy Montag, who is a firefighter in the book. But instead of having the job of a normal firefighter that we know of, the book takes place in a futuristic setting and Montag burns houses hiding books in them (books are illegal in this society). Throughout the course of the story, Montag starts to question whether or not he should be burning books, and starts to realize that maybe the information and knowledge inside of books is powerful and shouldn't be destroyed.

One quote from the book is, "' Pity, Montag, pity. Don't haggle and nag them; you were so recently of them yourself. They are so confident that they will run on forever. But they won't run on. They don't know that this is all one huge big blazing meteor that makes a pretty fire in space, but that some day it'll have to hit. They see only the blaze, the pretty fire, as you saw it'" (99-100). Faber (a character who helps to preserve books) tries to help reassure Montag. He explains here that firemen and other people in the city don't understand that they are destroying knowledge, but they are just doing what they are told, without questioning the government or society. He says that one day though, they will have to find out what is going on, and figure out a way to keep from destroying books. This book seems really interesting and entertaining, and I'm excited to keep reading it to see how it ends!