Fahrenheit 451

We see the quote being true through many characters in the novel that relate, such as Montag, Mildred and as well as Faber.

Montag is related to this quote in many ways. In the novel Montag was a fireman, who only burned books with love. The only vision he has was to just do what he was told or asked, burn books. He didn’t realize that he was burning knowledge with his own hands. The whole society didn’t notice anything. Later on in the novel Montag meets Clarisse who helps Montag to think about the future. He then gets a vision; he followed his vision and tried to change the society. He began to save and read books. When Montag meets Granger, he’s told that people who did something never die, they have knowledge. They gave something to the world.

Through characterization Ray Bradbury tells us how Mildred is also a character who is related to this quote. Mildred as well as the rest of the society, only says and looks at what is shown. Mildred has no emotions and she doesn’t know that she’s lacking feelings. Mildred didn’t know what she was doing or what she will do and why. Mildred was like a puppet of the government as well as the other members of the society. All these people just perished because there was no desire of learning or wanting something. The people had no curiosity; they were all doomed by following the rules of the society.

Faber, who called himself a coward, was not a coward after all because he did what he could to change the society. Faber never liked the society in lived in or the way he lived, he didn’t know how to change it. He did know that they need quality, leisure, and the freedom to reaction how they feel. After he met Montag, they talked about the plan and they both had a guide line, which helped then in their goal. If they never had a guide line they both wouldn’t been able to bring a change in their life.

In summary, when there is no independence , guide line , or quality the people are like robots who do what they are told. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” It is symbolic in the novel that Montag found knowledge and is able to change his life, on the other hand Mildred didn’t seek for knowledge and wasn’t able to gain independence, she perished. This society represented people with no goals and symbolically at the end of the novel there was bombing. Everyone perished; Montag was saved as well as his intelligent friends. If you have knowledge, you will never perish.