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Beginning
Montag is a fireman: a man who sets fire to books, which are outlawed in Ray Bradbury's dystopian, totalitarian America in which books and independent thought are outlawed and suppressed, and are replaced with excessive television, media, and conformity. -
Clarisse Enters
Montag meets Clarisse, a happy-go-lucky 16 year old who asks him "strange" questions about truth, knowledge, and happiness. -
The Book Collector
Montag and other Firemen in vestigate the house of an old woman and discover scores of books. Montag secretly steals one. They try to get the woman to leave before they burn the house down, but she refuses, preferring instead to burn herself and die with her books. -
Clarisse Is Dead
Montag relates the story of the woman's suicide to his wife, Mildred, an she appears not to be affected by it in the way he is. When Montag asks Mildred if she has seen Clarisse lately she repsonds that she was killed by a speeding car. -
Beatty's Visit
Captain Beatty visits Montag to see how he is doing. He tells Montag of how books cause unhappiness and conflict and they are burned by the government in the name of general happiness. Beatty leaves and Montag reveals his stash of books to Mildred. -
Enter Faber
Montag decides that he needs help to understand the books he is keeping. He contacts a man named Faber, who was an English professor before books were banned. Faber is initially reluctant to help for fear of the law and Montag's position as a fireman, but eventually gives in once Montag begins repping pages from a rare printing of the Bible. He gives Montag an earpiece so that he can guide him constantly. -
The Parlor Scene
Montag returns home to find Mildred watching television with her friends while barely engaging in mindless conversation. Frustrated and sickened by this sight, Montag attempts to engage them in conversation but finds this to be a difficult task. He then shocks them by reading the poem Dover Beach, causing one of the women to cry. All the women, upset by Montag's actions, then leave the house and Mildred locks herself in the bathroom. -
The House Burning
Montag and the firemen follow an order to a book burning, and stop at Montag's house. Beatty orders Montag to burn his own house down, stating that Montag's wife reported him. Montag attempts to communicate to Mildred but she ignores him and leaves. He follows the orders to burn down his house and proceeds to burn Beatty alive as well. -
On The Run
Montag flees to Faber's house, who tells him to find the excommunicated book lovers who have memorized books for a future time. They decide to reunite in St. Louis when all the drama blows over. Montag flees news helicopters and mechanical hounds and escapes by floating down a river. -
The Book People
Montag finds the exiled book lovers. Their leader is a man named Granger. All of the book people have memorized books for a future time when books are not outlawed. Montag and the book people watch as the city is destroyed by nuclear weapon. Granger makes a comparison of mankind to the phoenix, and then Montag and the book people head back to the city to reconstruct society.
