In the novel, "Fahrenheit 451," by Ray Bradbury, Bradbury creates a world in which books are strictly prohibited. Not only does the lack of tangible, opinionated knowledge promote a lackluster society, but prompts few to question the government's reasons for prohibition. Guy Montag, the protagonist of the story, is a "fireman" whose job is to burn books. He's a man with questions, and slowly and eventually submits his questioning of the government to his curiosity of the unknown. Beatty and Montag both use fire as a way to destroy all aspects that they do not believe in, but with different motivations behind their uses. People in this novel may think of fire as an act of evil, while others look at it as a way to save the human race. Throughout the novel, Beatty uses fire destructively while Montag uses it constructively.
Beatty's role throughout the book provides the reader with a physical manifestation of the government's rules and regulations. Since the beginning, Beatty has believed in fire's destructive use. He uses fire as a fear tactic in order to better himself. Beatty's motto of "Burn all, burn everything " demonstrates his lack of compassion for anything that lies in his path (60). He cannot imagine a life without fire and exploits its use. Beatty states, "Fire is bright and fire is clean. " (60). Usually fire is not referred to with those adjectives. Fire can create a mess of ashes, large outbreaks, or chaos. The fact that Beatty describes fire as bright and clean shows a warped sense of what is right and what is wrong. Beatty uses fire as a destructively cleansing force to demonstrate his power over others. Montag has a revelation that "Beatty is afraid of her " (69). Clarisse is so forward thinking and different from society that Beatty is fearful of her. This quote provides an insight into Beatty's insecurities. In order to show his dominance, he uses fire destructively to instill fear into other's minds.