Summary of Fahrenheit 451 (Essay Sample)

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Summary of Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a fictional book published in 1953. It's an astounding book set about a futuristic American society where everyone is equal, and the government suppresses intellectual people in order to safeguard ‘equity.' According to Bradbury, the future society is not enviable. In the long run, the peace that the equal society provides is disrupted as enemies of the state succeed in destroying the city through a nuclear attack. Ironically, the only sure survivors are the intellectuals, forced into a life of hiding and cast out by society for free thinking.
The Hearth and the Salamander
The protagonist in the book is a fireman by the name Guy Montag. In this futuristic society, firemen are tasked with the responsibility of creating equity in people by burning the belongings of anybody found in possession of a book. A mechanical beast with six legs and structured like a dog helps them track down such individuals. Montag is pleased with his life and does not see any fault with it, going about his duty unquestionably.
A woman whose house the firemen are called to burn down, however, makes Montag waiver his judgment. The woman lights herself on fire together with her books, refusing to let them burn down her books. She prefers dying with her books instead of allowing the firemen to burn them. On the way home after witnessing the woman commit suicide, Montag meets with his 17 year old neighbor, Clarisse. Clarisse represents the intellectual minded people and is dissatisfied with a society with no will. She poses a question to Montag, "Are you happy?" and Montag realizes he is not happy. Over the next week, Montag and Clarisse meet to and from work but he later on learns of her demise at the hands of a speeding driver after she fails to appear for a number of days at the usual time.
Montag has over the years of his career accumulated a number of books and shares this information with his wife, Mildred, after his fire chief, Captain Beatty, visits them at home. Mildred is a representation of the shallow-minded individuals who unquestionably follow the state. She has on one occasion attempted to take her life by overdosing on sleeping pills. Mildred is compared to a wax doll, melting in its own heat (Bradbury 114). As the couple goes through a book that Montag was able to take from the suicidal woman's house, they hear the Mechanical hound sniffing outside their door.
The sieve and the Sand
Montag remembers about an old professor, Faber, whose contact he still had and calls him to ask about the book. Faber hangs up nervously, unsure of whether Montag is trying to trap him, but gives Montag a headset to guide him when Montag visits his house.
Mildred's friends Mrs. Bowles and Clara Phelps visit her to watch one of their meaningless shows and Montag tries to bring up enlightened conversations about their lives, but his efforts are futile as he realizes that they are both as shallow as his wife. They do not care about their husbands who are to fight in the upcoming war, and Mrs. Bowles does not even feel affection towards her children. Against Faber's advice, Montag reads the poem, Dover Beach to the women. Mrs. Phelps cries but is unsure of the reason she does this and the two women leave uncomfortably (Mo para. 9).
Montag hides the collection of books in the backyard after realizing that his wife is secretly burning them and proceeds to work where there is a call about a book incident. The firemen arrive at Montag's house.
Burning Bright
Beatty instructs Montag to take down his own house and he realizes that his wife reported him. After using the flame thrower to burn his house, he burns Beatty down with it and threatens to find Faber (Bradbury 118). The mechanical Hound is let loose on him, but he burns it too before escaping to a place where in...