Ray Bradbury

Guy Montag is a firefighter. His wife's name is Mildred Montag. Montag burns books every night because he is a firefighter and does not question authority. That is, until he meets his new neighbor, Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse shows him the beauty of everyday life, turning Montag's world upside down. He starts questioning authority, and he steals books from fires to take home to read them.

     When Mildred Montag discovers that he is stealing and hiding books, he begs her not to tell and reads the stories to her. Sadly, Montag read just too many to Mildred who turns him in.

     When the authorities come to burn all of Montag's book and his house, Mildred runs out of the house, into a car, and drives away, abandoning her husband. Montag has a seashell in his ear that allows his friend Faber, an old English professor, to hear what is happening. The firefighter Captain, Beatty, sees Montag tilt his head and figures out that Montag has a seashell. When Captain Beatty takes Montag's seashell to trace where the other person is, Montag kills Captain Beatty and the three other firefighters at his house. Montag still does not run though, because the Hound is still after him. When Montag hears the almost imperceptible sound of the Hound pouncing he turns and fires a flamethrower at the Hound. The Hound dies but not before injecting the paralyzing liquid into Montag's leg. Luckily, it is not enough to permanently paralyze Montag. 

     Montag, on the run, goes to Faber's House. He watches Faber's small TV as the news brings in a second Hound to catch him. Montag, in despair, realizes that everything he touched in Faber's house smells like him. He gives quick direction to Faber to get rid of his smell before running towards the river.

     Montag makes it to the river, and beyond. Montag follows the railroad tracks on the other side of the river to a small hobo camp of old professors. Montag travels with them for a few days, when he hears fighter jets zoom by and Montag flattens himself on the ground. The whole city where Montag used to live was justed bombed. Montag and the professors walk back to the city to rebuild a city of literature.

     Montag is the main character in this book, Fahrenheit 451.