When Montag struggles to comprehend the information he is reading for the first time, he recalls meeting an ex-professor named Faber and looks up his number in his file-wallet entitled "Future Investigations." Montag proceeds to call Faber and initially says that he has an odd question to ask him. Montag then asks Faber how many copies of the Bible are left in the country. When Faber responds by adamantly saying that he has no idea, Montag asks him how many copies of the works of Shakespeare and Plato remain in the country. Montag's questions regarding the number of copies of classic works of literature frightens Faber, who quickly hangs up the phone.
Faber could not trust that Montag was genuinely seeking information for the purpose of pursuing knowledge and was worried that the authorities were trying to set him up. In the dystopian society, literature is censored and anyone possessing books is arrested, which explains Faber's reluctance to answer Montag's questions over the phone.
In Part One of the novel, Montag calls Faber and asks him how many copies of the Bible are in existence. He also asks about the number of surviving copies of Shakespeare and Plato.
Faber's reaction to these questions is one of suspicion. Because he knows that Montag is a fireman, Faber thinks that these questions are a "trap," designed to work out whether or not Faber is guilty of possessing books. What Faber does not realize is that Montag is still a fireman, but he is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the system and is looking for a way out.
When Faber tells Montag that there are no copies of these books left, Montag realizes that the copy of the Bible that he has in his possession is the only surviving one in the world. This is a poignant moment for Montag and he has no desire to hand this last copy over to Beatty.
No comments:
Post a Comment