Montag

Guy Montag was content with his life as a fireman. He had a nice house, a nice wife and a content life. Montag had been a fireman for 10 years, and had never questioned the pleasures of midnight runs or the joy of watching pages being consumed by flames. One day, Montag meets a curious young girl, Clarisse, who tells him all about the world in a way that Montag has never thought of before. He soon realizes that the world he lives in is upside down, he no longer loves his wife, Millie, or his job. Montag starts to question the ways of the world, why do people love books? What power lies within them?

The protagonist in my story is Guy Montag, a fireman from the 24th century. The thing about Guy, the quality that makes him him, is that he is secretly inquisitive. This is something that he develops on his own . When Montag goes into a old maid's house to inspect the circumstances of the call, he finds a house of books. The fire cheif decides that they must burn the house. Montag tries to usher the lady with him, but she refuses and decides to say with her burning books. It is at this point that Montag begins to wonder, what are in books?

"There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing."
- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, Part 1

I believe that Guy is heroic in nature because, he goes on a journey to find himself, a part of himself that he must have been missing for a long time. He also is brave and caring, he cares about his home and his family but also feels compasion for the old woman that stays in the house and for Clarisse. He is brave to go against his workplace and his friend and firecheif 'Beatty'.

Guy Montag : [holding a book in his hand] Behind each of these books, there's a man. That's what interests me.

"Fahrenheit four-five-one is the temperature at which book paper catches fire and starts to burn"

Mostly Happy

Bean doesn't live a normal life. When she was very little, her father left her and her mother, Prissy, she was left with a suitcase full of memories. Memories that Bean collects on her journey through life. Bean and her mother move all over Saskatchewan, all the while, keeping her close friendships with her friends Goose and God. Prissy was in very bad times, she would bring home abusive men almost every night, and would work all day. Then, Jack Vera came into their life. At first Jack seems to be a good man, a wonderful story teller, but he soon is realized to be an evil man. Jack and Prissy marry and welcome a new daughter, Dee, into the family. Bean soon realizes she has more to protect than herself and Prissy.

The character archetype I would like to discuss is for the character; Jack Vera.

Jack Vera is the 'Shadow' and the 'Shapeshifter'.

He is most like the 'Shapeshifter' trait in the beginning because he very charming and devious, but, you don't know if it is all an act or if it is for real. For the first couple of weeks when Jack is with Prissy, everything seems to be alright. The farther you get into the book, the more it becomes apparent that Jack is a monster on the inside. He is temperamental, and jealous. Jack and Prissy start out with just arguments but it soon escalates into violence. The more that Jack hits, the more Bean realizes that she needs to stay and protect the ones she loves.