Imagine if someone argued against books using quotes from some of the greatest minds in history. Not to give away too much, but Captain Beatty (F451) is definitely one of the most thought-provoking characters I have ever seen.
Captain Beatty is like a mirror image to the protagonist Guy Montag. He obviously loved to read (as seen by him quoting Shakespeare in a life-or-death situation), but eventually he came out feeling defeated in the end and joined his enemies.
Here’s a Quick Analysis:
**Internal Conflict:** Captain Beatty is tormented by his own conscience about burning books. He tries to rationalize it (and does quite a good job at it), but looking closer we can see his internal conflict unfolding. He hates himself beneath it all. He wants the fire to burn his soul out, to burn away all of his unhappy thoughts, to stop thinking. If you can’t defeat your enemies, join them. By attempting to radically switch sides, Beatty seemed to think he would find peace. But no, although other people are mindless, Beatty is not. And he despises that fact.
**Unquestioning Authority:** Beatty obeys the authority of the state without question. For someone who is so well-read and educated, he decides to turn his back on learning and books, afraid of the pain they might cause.
**Complex Relationship With Books:** As mentioned a billion times, he is well-read. I think Beatty might deep down still likes books. But he wanted to conform to our society and the prevailing culture. He wants to fit in so badly that he will aggressively destroy the things that made him happy.
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I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts in the comments!
by DogeIsATroller
2 Comments
I did a character study on Beatty in high school and his character has left such an impressionable mark on me as well!
Beatty is the perfect foil for Faber – both are well-learned and well-read, except Beatty willfully gives in to the bliss of ignorance and instant gratification for the comforts of conformity and complacency. As you said – he is a victim of groupthink and he hates it.
As opposed to a character like Mildred who is just lazy and very superficially hates any form of literary substance, Beatty denounces and shuns the power of books (or ideas) that challenge a person or their beliefs or forces one to question. Beatty considers books as personally subversive and a threat to happiness.
“We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought… Don’t let the torrent of melancholy and drear philosophy drown our world.”
What makes Beatty’s character so interesting is that he isn’t wrong! Books and ideas are meant to challenge, to oppose, to pose bigger questions. Some books are challenging to pursue because they can push the limits of one’s views or convictions.
It’s my first time reading the book since high school and I always got the interpretation that Beatty “liked” being smarter than the people he was, for lack of a better word, torturing.
Beatty has obviously consumed ALOT of literature, a staggering amount possibly, but I think he enjoys that others are not as well read as he is, and he holds it over them, and he participated in the destruction of books and culture because that means he will ALWAYS be smarter than others. Beatty enjoys that Montag only has a small idea of what he is currently experiencing. He relishes in Montag’s inferiority when compared to himself, casually referencing large chunks of literature, with no care for anyone hearing him.
I think that Beatty is actually one of the few free thinkers in this world, but he chooses to be part of the destruction because it feeds his own ego. As long as no one can access knowledge, he’ll always be the smartest man in the room.
Well not as smart as a flamethrower, but you can’t have everything.