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Fahrenheit 451 - Letter #2


Greetings Brittany,

I think you’re right about the conflict between Guy Montag and the society he lives him being the most important conflict in the novel, it seems to be the driving force behind all of Guy’s actions. It appears as if Guy has been uncertain and weary about his lifestyle and the society for a while and it just kept building up until it finally led to his eventual rebellion.  I think the influence of both Clarisse and Milly caused him to finally break away from society. Clarisse was his inspiration and showed him what life is like when it is not lived “normally” and Milly was the reason why he finally felt that life within the society was meaningless. His relationship with both of these characters pushes him over the edge because they instill in him both inspiration and desperation. When Betty comes to visit Guy while he is sick in bed, Mildred discovers a book that Guy had saved from the recent burning. Instead of turning him in to the Captain right then and there, Mildred keeps it a secret. I found this particular scene very interesting because Mildred and Guy don’t seem all that close but when it came down to it, Mildred still wanted to keep him safe. Despite her kindness, Guy decides that the life he is living is meaningless and that he has to make a change, no matter the consequences. Even when his boss, the Captain, knows that he has been smuggling books he still decides to follow thorugh with his plan and try to bring books back into society with the help of his friend Faber. Faber is an old professor that has been hiding ever since literature had been outlawed. I think Guy’s relationship with Faber is another reason why he is so willing to rebel against the government. He views Faber like a mentor and seeks his advice and knowledge, using him kind of like a support system. Do you think Montag would have rebelled if he didn’t have Faber to lean on? Do you think that Faber will actually help Montag or will he be too afraid?


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