After enduring the subway, Montag finally
reaches Faber's house. Though the elderly man is hesitant to reveal himself to the fireman, he
eventually opens the door when he sees the Bible Montag possesses. Faber admits that he hasn't
seen a Bible for a long time. He goes on to criticize the secularization of religion in recent
years. He muses, "I often wonder if God recognizes His own son the way we've dressed him up, or
is it dressed him down?" Christ is now little more than a good advertiser for consumer goods.
It seems everything and everyone who used to be real is watered down in this overly tolerant society.
Soon, Faber begins telling Montag
the history of this modern era from his perspective. Ancient books, like the Bible, are incredibly
valuable, Faber argues, because they are sufficiently detailed to portray life as it is-real.
The reason why the Bible and other books were censored, Faber says, is because their portrayal of life
was often too real-it accurately showed human sin and ugliness, which became offensive and troubling
to people. Secondly, Faber explains that the lack of leisure time, meaning time to contemplate
the deep mysteries of life, has been taken away by the government. Temporal pleasures, like television,
serve to occupy people and keep them from true, independent thought. Lastly, the application of
the ideas learned in books, a natural freedom, Bradbury though Faber argues, is necessary to change
the behavior of man. Books are intended to correct the mistakes humans made in the past, and to
"remind" men what "asses and fools" they were.
Montag's character continues to change. No longer is he a robot, as he was at the beginning of
the novel, but now he is beginning to think for himself, seeing himself struggling for a noble ideal-namely,
to save the world from ignorance. Montag is firmly committed to this ambition. He tells
his mentor, "That's the good part of dying: when you've nothing to lose, you run any risk you want."
Here, Montag realizes the relative insignificance of his own life compared to that of the world. This
discussion inspires Montag to conceive of a plan. Though Faber is skeptical about the possibility
for another mental renaissance of sorts, Montag believes that a new revolution of peoples' minds can
indeed occur. Yet when Faber refuses to help, Montag threatens him, reminding him that's he's a fireman.
When he begins to rip the pages of the Bible, Faber gives in and agrees to teach Montag what he knows
as a professor.
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