Montag is a fireman, and he is required to burn houses that contain books that the owner is reading in secret. If the person doesn not co-operate and will not leave the house, they (the firemen) are required to leave them in the house and burn it to the

Clarisse tells Montag of a world in the past when people were not afraid, and read books legally and for knowledge. She points out how people are so focussed on their entertainment that they do not enjoy the world around them, or appreciate the environme

Captain Beatty, in the "Afterword" of the novel shows Montag all the books that he keeps. He explains that it is not a crime to keep the books, but it is to read them.