In a world where it is normal to burn books, Montag, not your usual fire fighter must go against the odds of his society and fight for what he wants. In the book Fahrenheit 451, the author, Ray Bradbury uses biblical references and allusions to compare Montag’s life and struggles to a Christ-like figure and how they both fought for their values and beliefs.
Bradbury uses the gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John to compare both Montag and Jesus. First Matthew 6: 22, “ Consider the lilies of the field” (Bradbury 78) relates to Jesus’s sermon on the mount. This bible verse makes Montag reevaluate his society and believe his people have only focused on the lesser things in life. Secondly Luke 24, the resurrection of Christ. When the Pheonix died and came back to life from the ashes (Bradbury 162) it represented Jesus’s death on the cross and his resurrection. It was hope for a new beginning. The third gospel John references Jesus’s water into wine miracle. Faber calls himself water and Montag fire, when they both come together they create wine.
When both Montag and Jesus stood up for what they wanted and showed people they could go against the norms, their started looking up to them, Jesus had the Disciples, and Montag had Faber. Another Biblical Allusion Bradbury uses is the gift of baptism; “ being submerged in water and coming up out of it”(Bible Questions). Montag’s trip down the river and him coming out of it represents a sort of baptism.
When he comes out of the river he gets rid of all his gear and puts Faber’s clothes on. This represents cleanliness or a new life. When you’re baptized you’re washed away of all sin, when Montag got out of the river, it was as his past was washed away and he was onto new things. The final way the author uses biblical allusions is by having Montag memorize the verse 22: 2 from the book of Revelations, “ down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Bible Gateway). The verse talks about the tree of life and the healing of his people. Montag starts to memorize this verse because it relates to what he is going through in his life.
To sum it up, Ray Bradbury uses biblical references such as the gospels; Matthew, Luke, and John, baptism, and the book of revelations to compare the life of Montag to Jesus Christ.
