Fahrenheit 451 Final Project - Diary of Montag

Eugenia Kim

Ms. Lee

9th grade English

28 May 2017

Diary of Montag

August 20, 2065

It has been 25 years that I farewell with Granger and went to the other side of the country. Many things have been changed and revealed since those 25 years. I was wandering around the nation and met some members of Fred Clement. It was such a long time that I felt free from position of firemen. I heard that most of the citizens in the metropolis were dead, but our members survived since most of them hid in the rural areas, forests, or their own secret bunkers to avoid the pursuit of police and Mechanical Hound. Dexter, the member of Fred Clement, passed me the memories of Shakespeare's Sonnets and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. I spent tremendous time to memorized all of the lines in Romeo and Juliet. However, I learned many feelings by those poets and story. I passed the memories of the Book of Ecclesiastes. The process of collecting bodies of victims and rebuilding the buildings were slowly proceeded because the attack was targeted toward the government, therefore, majority of them  died. The attackers were the other nations and expellees who disagreed with the over development of the technology and prohibition of the books. By the Seashell radio that Dexter handed to me, I heard Granger contacted with them and tried to revive a new government which will abolish the prohibition of  the books. It is time for Fred Clements to gather up in Maine to share all of our memories.

September 29, 2065

I finally arrived in Maine where all Fred Clement members promised to gather up when the opportunity comes. All of the members who were hiding all over the nation started to assemble. Maine was the country that has less damage of bomb, only few buildings and forest were burned down. When I arrived to Maine, I directly went to main office to meet Granger. It was twenty five years…It took twenty five years to meet Granger again. He and I aged a lot and we looked like old men, but still, we felt the each other’s desire to create a new nation that can protect all of the knowledge and books. After we inquired each other, and I went down to my room for tomorrow’s assembly. The reunion with Granger made me to indulge in reminiscences. I went out from my room to walk for a while to sort out my thoughts of Beatty, Faber, Mildred, and… and.. Clarisse. The Moon was exceptionally bright tonight. When I turned the corner, the autumn leaves blew over the moonlit pavement in such a way as to make the woman who was moving there seem fixed to a sliding walk, letting the motion of the wind and the leaves carry her forward. I couldn’t move my feet from where I stopped. I felt dejavu of this moment. This happened 25 years ago, when I first met… Clarisse. I was captured by an illusion, but the woman who had milk-white, slender face, wearing white dress turned around and smiled at me, saying, “Long time no see, Montag.” It was a miracle.

September 30, 2065

I couldn’t remember the contents of today’s assembly. Clarisse was alive and she attended today’s assembly for Fred Clement. This can’t be real! I pinched and poked myself to check if I’m daydreaming. It was real. It was real. But… but how? Last night, after she said long time no see, she just vanished into thin air just like an illusion. However, she came up to me again, after the assembly.   I was barely keeping back my tears and said, “You are here. You are alive and standing in front of me. How could it be possible? Where were you? Why did you just vanished without any words? I.. I thought you were dead.” Then she said with a bright smile, “Calm down, Montag. I’ll tell you everything. It is a quite long story. My family was encountered surveillance by the government because we were the members of Fred Clement. Our family was kidnapped by the agents and my parents and uncle got killed by them. I was the only one who survived from that incident. They spared my life to investigate the stronghold of Fred Clement, but I desperately kept that as a secret. After few weeks, I heard that the war would begin, so people were busy to assure their protection and everything went to chaos. I escaped from there in that time and ran thoughtlessly to Maine where my parents told me to go if I’m the only one who survived. I met the member of Fred Clement on my way to Maine and we hid in the secret bunker to be safe from the bomb attack. When the bomb attack got lulled, I came straight to Maine and met my relatives. This is my story.”

November 10, 2070

After Granger became the leader of Fred Clement which was now supported by other nation, the rebuilding of cities got accelerated and they finished collecting bodies of victims. I found out Mildred in the list of victims, so I went to Chicago where Millie and I first met to perpetuate few memories with her. It was unfortunate to had just few memories to recollect. At that moment, I got a call from the hospital that Granger got shot by unidentified assailant who were presumed to be the rebel forces from the previous government. I went to the hospital thoughtlessly, hoping Granger to be safe. When I arrived to the hospital, he was about to pass away. He left his last words to me to entrust with future affairs of books and the nation. He quietly closed his eyes and passed away with a peaceful smile on his face. Without any moments of condolence, I felt the heavy responsibilities on my shoulders and pressure for the leader. When I went out from the ward, I was astonished by a man who was sitting in the wheelchair.  Unconsciously, I shouted, “F..Faber!” Another miracle happened. I thought Faber was dead, too because of the bomb attack and I lost touch with him a long time ago, so I didn’t expect him to be alive. Later, Faber told me that he got injured by the attack, so he had to rely on the wheelchair and he became co-leader of Fred Clement, appointed by Granger. After short conversation with Faber, we promoted resolution to protect and preserve the books as well as leading the nation to the right path. Since I have my companions, Faber and Clarisse, I won’t make hasty and emotional decisions this time. Now, is the time for books and knowledge to fly all over our society with freedom and confidence to convey wisdom with new government and fight against with the rebel force to make peaceful, safety society that has abundance knowledge and critical thinking.