What’s Burning Beatty?

What’s Burning Beatty?

Beatty is somewhat of a paradox. He is the head fireman, but knows more about books than anyone else. His life consists of burning books, but he spends half of his timing quoting the very things he destroys. His speeches are filled with biblical references such as, “You’ve been locked up here for years with a regular damned Tower of Babel,” (pg.35) he tells the old woman. “You think you can walk on water with your books,” (pg.111) he says to Montag. Once Beatty’s knowledge of books is set aside, only one thing is left in his life, and that is fire. Beatty’s motivation is fire and not wanting to question or think. His ultimate goal is to burn the seed of the free thinker.

Beatty is the head honcho of the fire department. His life is full of fire, which in a way makes him obsessed with it. He once said that when a problem arises in life, “You burn it and then burn it again.” Instead of dealing with the old lady who refuses to leave her house, because her prize possession is the knowledge that a book holds, he burns her alive. He did not try to save or convince her. He just sets her house on fire and watches it burn. Beatty’s desire for fire and his hatred of books is also displayed in a play written after the book. In this play Montag goes to Beatty’s home only to find a book shelf full of books, but there is one catch. All the books are burned.

Beatty tries to discourage those who crave the knowledge found only in books. Montag is the prime example. Beatty, being a fairly intelligent man, catches on to Montag’s shenanigans immediately. Beatty sees how Montag tenses up and becomes nervous at the firehouse and constantly is watching his back. Beatty even gives Guy a speech about how books can deceive. Although Beatty is ultimately unsuccessful, he makes some pretty solid points. Beatty states that people no longer want to read books, because they find them extremely