"Do you ever read the books you burn?"
This quote from Clarisse is arguably one of the most important lines in the entire film. This singular line changes the direction of the plot completely. While Clarisse is questioning Guy Montag over his job and his motivation behind performing his job, she slowly but surely begins to chip away at his resolve, further confusing him and making him ponder the realities of the society they live in. Montag's commitment to burning books is shattered when Clarisse asks him this question. Although he brushes her off at first, his curiosity begins to grow. In private, he decides that he will keep some of the books he finds at the houses he is called to and keep them, reading them in the secrecy of his home.
"Because of the smell of kerosene? Quite a scent, isn't it? My wife doesn't like it very much. She says it lingers. I don't mind. I think of it as a... perfume."
This quote is from the beginning of the movie when Guy Montag is explaining his occupation as a fireman to his neighbors and the difficulties the job entails. Montag permanently smells like kerosene because he is constantly burning books to ashes. He enjoys the thrill of burning the books with his flamethrower and kerosene, and he describes the smell as something that creates and almost animalistic urge within him, motivating him to continue his enforcement of the law, no matter what obstacles stand in his path. From these lines in the movie the audience is able to obtain quite a deal of information. We learn about the background of the society the characters live in as well as the background of the firemen. We also learn about the motivations behind Guy Montag and the driving force in his life.
"Is it true that a long time ago firemen used to put out fire and not burn books?"
This quote is remarkably significant to the plot and the proceeding of the film because we learn a lot about Clarisse and her personality. In this specific scene of the film, she is walking with her neighbor Guy Montag and persistently interrogating him on all aspects of his life, his job, and the role the government plays. We learn that the government has kept a tight restriction on the history that people are allowed to know, in order to control society and its path. Even people such as Clarisse have no clue about whether firemen were ever used to put out fires, a revelation that is shocking to the audience because it is the exact opposite of what we know. Through this quote, we also learn quite a deal about Clarisse's unorthodox nature. Unlike the people around her, she is extremely inquisitive and wants to know the truth behind her surroundings. She does not readily accept what the government feeds the masses and is willing to take risks in order to understand more about what is taking place in her world.
"Burning the books is one thing; burning the house is another altogether."
This quote is part of the conversation the Captain holds with the fireman when he comes to burn his house. Since reading is banned, the government usually sends its officials to burn any books-not houses-they come across. Indeed, when one of the firemen tells the Captain that his house has been marked for torching since it contains books, the Captain becomes skeptical: he questions why the house has to be burnt when only the books inside have been criminalized by the repressive regime. The quote thus demonstrates the Captain's criticism of government officers taking the law into their hands by criminalizing what the law does not forbid.
"To learn how to find, one must learn how to hide."
Since the government has outlawed books, citizens who want to read must accept to use some extra effort to achieve their goal. As they say, the same way nothing good comes without hard work is the same way acquiring emancipatory knowledge cannot be achieved without hiding, especially in this totalitarian society. Basically, what Montag implies is that those who want to read books and acquire the "forbidden knowledge" should prepare to go to the woods to hide as they read so the government cannot discover that they are breaking the law and punish them accordingly. Montag's statement reinforces the theme of oppression by demonstrating how citizens in this society have to struggle to access the same rights and freedoms that any democracy would deem basic.
"Books make people unhappy, they make them antisocial."
This quote is drawn from Montag's conversation with Clarisse after she asks him why he burns books. Like other citizens of this society, Montag believes in the lies propagated by the government he works for. Since the government does not want the masses to become knowledgeable, it uses all kinds of propaganda to condition people's minds that books are evil. Thus, when Clarisse asks Montag why he likes burning books, he responds by telling her the same lie, albeit unknowingly, that the government has indoctrinated him with. Montag's response thus reflects how powerful government propaganda can become to the extent that masses believe it to be true, and do very little to authenticate whatever information is fed to them.
