The Strength Of Beatty

The Strength of Beatty
The book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, demonstrates how certain people's opinions can
influence an issue -- in this case, the burning of books. Captain Beatty had the greatest influence on public
opinion regarding this issue. Beatty illustrates the ability to confuse and to make a person insane, he can
control a community of people, and he can frighten people. Beatty is, clearly, the strongest character in the
book Fahrenheit 451.
One of his influential talents is Beatty's ability to confuse in his arguments. He used this ability to
weaken Montag. He once said, "So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the
shot from the weapon. Breach mean's mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?
Me? I won't stomach them for a minute." (Pg. 62) These short phrases are bewildering, because they have
a very unclear meaning. He also said, "And you shrieked, 'Knowledge is power!' and 'A dwarf on a giant's
shoulders sees the farthest of the two!' and I summed my side up with rare serenity in, 'The folly of a
mistaking a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself as an
oracle, is inborn is us, Mr. Valery once said.'" (Pg. 116) This confused Montag to the point that he almost
disclosed his passion for reading books.
Beatty has mastered the skill of holding people under his power. Beatty, himself, said,
"Knowledge is more than equivalent to force." (Pg....

The Strength Of Beatty

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