I’ve been wondering about this. In F451, the society may seem bleak in our eyes, however, the citizens seems to be “happy” and are too preoccupied to notice the depressing state of their society. Montag, who has snapped out of this “trance” is now trying to get others to notice it as well. If the citizens are happy, then is Montag really doing the right thing to make them realise they’re being controlled by the government? Or would it just make the citizens more depressed
by NefariousnessAdept21
4 Comments
Protagonist does not mean hero. The protagonist is the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. Montag is definitely the protagonist. Montag wife attempts to kill herself in the first chapter and it is alluded that this is a regular occurrence. the people are not actually happy they may be somewhat content in a zombified sort of way. Montag ultimately only frees himself and is tasked with remembering and thinking.
Is mundane happiness, or daily satisfaction, the object of a protagonist’s desire? Some, sure, but f451 isn’t about sublimating in the mundane, it’s about sublimating through generational knowledge. The war comes home regardless of Montag’s preoccupations. His society was already at its breaking point. When he runs off with the hobo literati it isn’t even really to teach his knowledge, but to learn more, then teach it perfectly.
First, being protagonist doenst mean being in the right, it’s just the main character.
Second, a society that has a very automated and routine response to the constant suicide attempts of its citizens and which is full of violence clearly doesn’t have happy citizens.
If you want a book that explores the ambiguity of a consumerist society which is ‘happy’ at cost of higher culture then Brave New World is for you. The society in Farenheit 451 is a simple hellscape.
Yes, he is the protagonist.