Fahrenheit 451
(Ray Bradbury)

Guy Montag

The protagonist is a fireman charged with enforcing government oppression by burning illegal books. Throughout the novel, he grows increasingly disgruntled with the superficial society and his role in state sponsored censorship. Doubts are intensified after meeting a young, inquisitive girl and witnessing a woman chose to burn to death with her books. After revealing his own hidden library to his wife, Montag is ordered to burn his own home. He murders the fire captain and runs, prompting a dramatic televised police chase. He escapes and finds a group of wandering intellectuals who memorize books.

Mildred Montag

Montag’s wife Mildred is not unlike many. Her life revolves around mindless entertainment. She often has radio speakers stuffed in her ears or watches her “family” on three walls of television. Mildred’s true happiness comes in to question when she overdoses on sleeping pills. She does not remember the episode the next day, nor is she concerned. Montag and Mildred show little affection or empathy toward each other. Neither can remember when or where they met, and Mildred does not seem to care. When Montag shows her the books he has stolen, she betrays him by reporting the library.

Clarisse McClellan

Montag meets his new neighbor Clarisse on his way to work one night. While at first uneasy around the strange girl, the two develop a fast friendship. The carefree 17-year-old is more interested in nature and talking to people than watching television. She describes herself as “crazy”, and is forced to see a psychiatrist for her “anti-social” behavior. At their first meeting, she asks Montag if he is happy. The question has a profound effect on Montag. Clarisse along with her questions serve as a catalyst for Montag’s voyage of self-discovery. Later, Clarisse dies when he is hit by a car.

Technicians

Montag comes home one night to find his wife, Mildred, has overdosed on sleeping pills. Montag calls the paramedics and two cigarette-smoking technicians arrive. They haul in a machine that pumps her stomach and provides a complete blood transfusion. They explain that such calls are a regular occurrence. Montag is struck by the fact that the two are not doctors, and secondly by how nonchalant they both are. The impersonal technicians appear to have little sympathy or decorum, a common attribute in the novel. The incident haunts Montag throughout the novel.

Captain Beatty

Montag’s boss at the firehouse suspects Montag of wrongdoing. The proud fire captain lectures Montag on the rationale for firemen and the pitfalls of giving into curiosity and stealing books. Using literary references in his arguments, he insists there is no value in books. The fireman’s role is to ensure that everyone remains happy and comfortable, he says. Later, the men arrive at Montag’s house to burn his illegal library. After Beatty forces him to burn his own house, Montag murders him with a flamethrower. Montag later concludes that Beatty wanted to die.

Faber

Montag meets Faber in the park about a year before the story takes place. Montag knows Faber has a book under his coat as the two converses, but Montag does nothing about it. Faber becomes comfortable enough to quote poetry and give Montag his contact information. Montag remembers the unemployed professor when he feels he has no one else to turn to. Faber gives him a two-way radio he invented so the two can communicate. While on the lam, Montag apologizes for involving him. Faber is delighted to help, however, and tells him he feels alive again working for the cause he was always to frighten to support.

Granger

Granger is the apparent leader of the wandering group of intellectuals that Montag meets after fleeing the city. The scholar encourages Montag to recall the words of his chosen book, as the members all memorize a piece of literature. He puts confidence in the idea that everyone who has made a difference in the world can be deemed important. Montag listens to this and wonders what Mildred has done that could ever be considered important. As the novel closes, Granger leads the group to rebuild civilization after witnessing the city be destroyed.

Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles

Mildred’s friends arrive one evening to watch television. Montag angrily shuts the parlor walls off and asks Mrs. Phelps about the impending war. Mrs. Phelps says she is not worried about her solider husband and shows little affection for him. Mrs. Bowles displays a similar affinity for her children, allowing the parlor walls to do the babysitting. The two voted for the current president because he was the more handsome of the two candidates. Montag reads a poem to the two ladies, after which Mrs. Phelps cries. Mrs. Bowles scolds Montag for upsetting her and the two report the books.

Black and Stoneman

Montag’s two fellow firemen willfully perform their duties in burning illegal books. When Montag questions whether firemen ever put out fires rather than start them, Black and Stoneman pull out their rule books and show him the blurb about the Firemen of America’s founding by Ben Franklin to burn English-influenced books. When the firemen show up at Montag’s house to burn his illegal library, Montag threatens the two with a flamethrower and knocks them out. On his way to Faber’s house, he plants books in Black’s house and phones in an alarm.

Woman with library

The firemen rush to what should be a routine call to burn an illegal library. As the firemen crash the place, Montag steals a book. He begs the woman with the library to leave the house before it is set ablaze. She refuses to leave, lighting her own kitchen match, burning herself with her books. Montag is left physically ill by the situation. The episode leaves Montag wondering what could possibly be inside those pages that could spark so much defiance. It is a defining moment that pushes Montag over the edge.

Mechanical Hound

With eight insect-like legs, the mechanical hound is set to track a person’s specific chemical balance and inject its prey with a numbing needle. The hound thinks only what it is programmed to think, according to Beatty. Montag suspects the hound is programmed to growl at him, but Beatty discounts his suspicions. Beatty, however, sends the hound sniffing around the house to warn Montag. Later, Montag destroys the hound with a flamethrower, but not before the hound injects him with its needle. Later, the authorities release another hound, but Montag throws off his scent and escapes.