In 'Fahrenheit 451', books are not repositories of knowledge and creativity but sources of chaos and confusion, and thus, are banned in this future society. Firemen like Guy Montag don't extinguish fires, rather they start them to burn books and the houses where they are found. Guy's life seems steady until he meets Clarisse McClellan, a teenager who questions everything and opens his mind to a world of ideas, creativity, and freedom. This encounter leaves Guy questioning his role as a fireman and disturbed by his wife Mildred's mindless consumption of shallow television shows and radio programs. When he witnesses the suicide of a woman refusing to live without her books, Guy steals a book before burning the woman's house. Captain Beatty, noticing Guy's growing discontent, tries to explain the rationale behind their society's actions, but this does not deter Guy. He reads the stolen book and seeks help from Faber, a former English professor. As Guy's rebellion grows, Mildred betrays him by reporting his possession of a book, leading Beatty to command Guy to burn his own house. Following this, Montag kills Beatty and becomes a fugitive. He finds a network of intellectuals living in the outskirts, who memorize books to keep knowledge alive. The novel ends with the city being bombed, but with hope that the intellectual community can rebuild a more enlightened society.
