Montag’s Transformation: The Influence of Subordinate Characters Anonymous 9th Grade

At the beginning of the novel Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is a fireman, a man who burns books, who doesn’t truly acknowledge how much he destroys. He seems to be content to burning things, finding pleasure in seeing houses in flames, smiling insanely while watching it all get destroyed. Over the course of the novel, however, Montag is transformed into a whole new person, a man nothing like he was like before. He develops an interest in books, and begins to actually think for himself, realizing how corrupted society really is. A major influence on this transformation is his contact with subordinate characters such as Mildred, Clarisse, and Faber. His interactions with these characters enlighten him and shape him into the man he becomes later on in the story.

One of the most important subordinate characters in Montag’s life is Mildred. Mildred motivates Montag to change by making him realize just how unhappy and artificial everyone is in their society: "She's nothing to me; she shouldn't have had books. It was her responsibility, she should have thought of that. I hate her. She's got you going and next thing you know we'll be out, no house, no job, nothing" (Bradbury 20). Mildred is a prime example of what Montag does not want to...