What is the job of the protagonist in 'Fahrenheit 451'?

In 'Fahrenheit 451,' the protagonist's job is a fireman. Guy Montag works for a government-controlled fire department whose role is to burn books and, when necessary, the buildings containing them. In Ray Bradbury's society, firemen enforce censorship rather than extinguish fires.

At the beginning of the novel, Montag accepts his work and takes pride in the destruction. His outlook changes after he meets Clarisse McClellan, a curious teenager who asks questions about happiness and society. Her influence, along with Montag's growing doubts and encounters with forbidden books, pushes him into conflict with his employers.

The title refers to the temperature at which paper is popularly said to ignite, though the exact scientific ignition temperature varies with paper type and conditions. A common mix-up is calling Montag a firefighter in the modern emergency-response sense. Bradbury's fireman is an agent of censorship, making the occupation one of the novel's sharpest symbols of state control. The book was published in 1953.