Is Montag Truly a Fearless Fireman? Farenheit 451 is a futuristic novel that concentrates on the forbidden act of reading, for this may encourage thinking. Guy Montag, the main character, is a fireman. Today, we translate the word "fireman" as someone who extinguishes fire, but in the setting and time of this novel, "fireman" has a whole different meaning than what we are accustomed to. Instead of putting out fires, Montag has the job of burning …showed first 75 words of 498 total…

…showed last 75 words of 498 total…the town that was against him, turning him into a hero, just like in the books he has read. Although Montag is originally portrayed to be a monster, the reader learns that he is completely human. This character changes so signficantly that it is nearly impossible to feel the same way about Montag in the end as the beginning. He has been changed from a feared and ruthless fireman to an admired and trusted hero.