Quote 10
"When I was a boy my grandfather died, and he was a sculptor. He was also a very kind man who had a lot of love to give the world, and he helped clean up the slum in our town; and he made toys for us and he did a million things in his lifetime; he was always busy with his hands. And when he died, I suddenly realized I wasn't crying for him at all, but for the things he did. I cried because he would never do them again, he would never carve another piece of wood or help us raise doves and pigeons in the back yard or play the violin the way he did, or tell us jokes the way he did. He was part of us and when he died, all the actions stopped dead and there was no one to do them just the way he did. He was individual. He was an important man. I've never gotten over his death. Often I think, what wonderful carvings never came to birth because he died. How many jokes are missing from the world, and how many homing pigeons untouched by his hands. He shaped the world. He did things to the world. The world was bankrupted of ten million fine actions the night he passed on." (3.361)
This is the solution to the big identity question in Fahrenheit 451: identity is crafted by action. Montag takes this lesson to heart. Mildred, he realizes, doesn’t actually do anything – which is why she seems to have no real identity.
Quote 11
"If you don't want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none." (1.627)
It is this very lack of options that leaves Montag so unhappy. Books may be challenging, but the alternative is a brainless void – hardly satisfying to the individual.
Quote 12
"I'm going to do something," said Montag. "I don't even know what yet, but I'm going to do something big." (1.655)
Montag’s rebellion is more about personal gratification than any sort of altruism.