Background and Summary

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel written by Ray Bradbury that was published in 1953. The story takes place in an American city in the distant future, a time when reading books is illegal. The main character, Guy Montag, is a fireman who burns books. His job is to set fires instead of putting out fires, since all the houses have been fireproofed. 

While walking home from work on day, Montag encounters a very peculiar 17-year-old girl on a late-night stroll. The girl introduces herself as Clarisse McClellan. Montag finds the girl to be unusual, because she notices a lot of things that no one care about. She likes observing people, enjoying nature, and spending time alone thinking. These activities are completely unheard of in the society where people stare at giant TVs that cover entire walls, listen to the radio on little "seashells," and speed down the road at over 100 miles per hour. 

Clarisse plants an important question in the mind of Montag, asking him if he is happy. Montag thinks that question is outrageous at first, but after his wife attempts suicide and  a woman burns herself rather than give up her books, he knows that he is not happy. He tries to find the answer in books, and formulates an elaborate plan with an acquaintance to try to fix what he believes is wrong in this society.