Only one in a million, like McClellan, actually think about what life is and question what happens every day. Montag, being a fireman, is almost like a tool that is being used by society to destroy all knowledge of the past. This is like in Equality's story, where to seek knowledge of the past is forbidden, and it's wrong and shunned upon. Both of the characters in the stories realize that knowledge is something that should be sought through. Equality and Montag both take extreme measure to prevent the destruction of knowledge, which eventually leads to straight-forward rebellion. Later on in the story, Montag begins to escape and rebel against society. This can be seen as he is talking to an old scholar, Faber, when they start to hatch a plan, “Plant the books, turn in an alarm, and see the firemen's houses burn” (Bradbury 85). His words tell the audience that he is a man of action, and that he wants to do something about the “burning books” problem as soon as possible.
This is the time in his life that Montag begins to understand why he needs to run away from this polluted society and get away to rebel. He's ready to turn around and betray his fellow fireman and instead of burning books, he plans to burn the people that burn books. Although this plan is very direct, in reality it would never work because the society has already stopped reading, the problem is not because of the fireman, but it goes deeper, it goes to the loss of knowledge probably years and years back. In both stories, it should be obvious that Montag and Equality relate to each other in many ways. They both have a point in their lives when they realize that need to break free from the society that is corrupt and damaged. This indirect characterization in both Fahrenheit 451 and Anthem show the reader and the audience the development of the main characters and when and how they break free of the corrupt society that they live in.
Also, as Equality develops throughout the story, he is seen as a dynamic character and this is also another element that shows why and when individuals need to break away from a corrupt society. As Equality grows through the story, he changes quite a bit. He is taught the rules of society and the values of the society, but he changes from them and develops his own values. He is always constantly changing and disregarding the rules: “Never, not in the memory of the Ancient Ones' Ancients, have men done that which we are doing. And yet there is no shame in us and no regret” (Rand 37). Equality is obviously changing dramatically because, he feels that never, not once in the history of the whole world, has anyone done as much evil as he has. This dynamic change shows us how he is breaking away from this tarnished society. He starts disregarding the rules, he develops his own ideas and own values, and he doesn't feel any wrongdoing in it, where as any other person in that society would feel wrong and live with it on their conscious.
He is always constantly growing and realizing that he needs to break away sometime soon and his changes are dynamic. And even once he is away from society and his community, he still is constantly changing: “But I am done with this creed of corruption. I am done with the monster of “We,” the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame” (Rand 97). This change in character tells the reader, that even though he's basically alone, he is still going against society. Throughout his whole life, he has been taught the word “we” as a word of equality, but he realizes that this definition of “we” isn't the definition that is true. His dynamic characterization in this novella shows how individuals break free of a corrupt society.
Along with Equality, the dynamic growth in Guy Montag also shows individuals breaking free of society. He starts of as a fireman, a burner of knowledge, and a wielder of fire. In the beginning, he believes that fire is this beautiful thing, this flame, but as he is changing and growing, he realizes that “Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences” (Bradbury 115). This is a very dynamic change because he was always someone who favored fire. The author tells us that he always loved to burn; he always thought, “It was a pleasure to burn” (Bradbury 3). And as he goes on through the story, he comes to realize that fire destroys as well as creates. It takes away as well as gives. This change in him helps him realize that knowledge should be sought and should be taught instead of being burnt and lost forever. His thought changes from the brainwashed state that was of the past: “Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame” (4).
