In part 1 of the novel, Montag witnesses a woman commit suicide with her books, and he begins to second-guess his occupation as a fireman. Montag decides to call in sick for work, and Captain Beatty visits his home in an attempt to persuade him that firemen play a valuable role in their society by maintaining the peace and making sure citizens are content at all times. Captain Beatty supports censoring literature because he believes that authors and critics are a threat to society. Beatty's answer to dealing with any uncomfortable subject or obstacle in society is to burn it. As Montag is lying in his bed, Beatty explains the positives associated with burning literature and tells Montag, "Burn them all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean" (Bradbury, 29). The adjectives "bright" and "clean" have positive connotations and are associated with cleansing and purification. In Beatty's opinion, fire purges society of conflict, and he believes that destroying obstacles benefits society, as opposed to solving issues through compromise, self-awareness, and discovery.
Firstly, to understand what Beatty means in this quote, think carefully about the words he uses. When he says that fire is "bright" and "clean," for example, he is saying that fire is a positive force. For Beatty, fire can purify things that are unclean.
Secondly, you need to relate this to the role of fire in this society. As we know, fire is used to burn books, and books are regarded as having a negative influence on people. They are viewed as dangerous and harmful because of their ability to make people think critically about their lives, as well as feel a range of emotions—both positive and negative.
Beatty, therefore, is defending the practice of book-burning. By setting fire to books, Beatty believes that society is being purified and kept safe from the dangerous messages contained in books.
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