What does it mean for a novel to be known as a classic? On Britannica it is known as “a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy.” That certainly describes this novel published in 1953 by Ray Bradbury, titled “Fahrenheit 451”. When I say this novel was wonderful and will stick with me as I grow not only as reader, but as a person, I mean it.  

This novel starts out with a man, Guy Montag, a firefighter. Though in the setting of this book, firefighters do not do what you think, firefighters burn books. In this dystopian novel based in an assumed future America, literature of all sorts is banned. By none other than Americas government. For a reason to guard the people of unhappy and challenging ideas. 

 We follow this protagonist through his job of burning books until he starts to walk to his home. He is met by a young girl, who makes him think, and tells him to notice. He does think, which leads him to feel a sort of emptiness in his life. He notices how dull things are, with his marriage, his job, and his knowledge. Which truly starts our novels theme of finding your purpose.

Montag throughout the whole novel was finding more and more unhappiness in everything. When on the job he saw an elderly women burn with her books instead of willingly give them up, something inside him snapped. He wanted to learn and know more, he took a book from the woman’s pile and hid it. The next day, and forever after that, Montag never went back to work because he felt “sick.” 

Montag felt alone and tried to speak with his wife about all the things he was feeling, and she called him foolish, as she went back to her obsession with television. Montag soon remembers an old professor he had known, Faber, before education became full of conformists. He goes to him with a bible in hand and begs for his help, and after convincing him they produced a plan. 

Faber and Montag were going to print copies of the books and plant them inside firemen’s homes, to bring the system down from within. The day Montag went back to work, for one last day where he was spoken to by his fire captain. Captain Beatty spoke and mocked Montag quoting literature. Then the fire house got an alarm, and in a way to prove Montag was an innocent man, he went with them on this call. 

The call led them to none other than Guy Montag’s own home, his wife Mildred had reported him for having books. This leads to Montag having to burn his very own house down. Captain Beatty then continued his taunting while Montag burned his own house to the ground, this leading to Montag turning the blaze onto Beatty, killing him. 

Found guilty and being actively searched for, Montag seeks refuge with Faber, who tells him to follow the river and find a group of ex-professes like Faber. He does this and discovers a group of men who memorize books and then burn the evidence, keeping everything in their mind. Led by Granger, they welcome Montag, explaining their purpose in restoring literature after the country falls apart. As they bond over loss and purpose a war starts quickly, which destroys the city. This pushes forward the group’s idea to help survivors and rebuild. Granger draws a parallel between humanity and a phoenix, suggesting the hope from building a better world from destruction.   

This novel to me is so much more than a book about a twisted America, but more of a warning of what could happen. In America, many books are being censored by schools, and this book to me is a dramatization of our today. The irony is that “Fahrenheit 451” itself is no exception of book banning and censorship, when that is what the book is about. Trying to hide books from minds, so no one has original thoughts, so everyone is happy, and I see it the same way now.

That future America Ray Bradbury wrote about in this novel seems to mirror our censored society today. Taking away “difficult” topics from minds, instead of simply guiding them through it. I believe this is why this book was a wonderful read, educational, reminding you not to always follow the crowd and to think for yourself, for it may open your eyes.