Part 1 - The Hearth and the Salamander
In part one, Montag, a fireman, meets Clarisse McClellan, a seventeen year old girl who doesn't look at the world the way most people do in their society. Everyone else believes that books are evil and have always been and that firemen were invented to start fires instead of stopping them. Clarisse has an open mind that contains amazing facts and wonderful stories. Montag becomes fascinated by her stories and looks forward to their conversations every evening while walking home. However, one night Clarisse isn't at her normal spot. Three days go by until Montag learns, from his wife Mildred, that Clarisse died from getting hit by a car or something (she doesn't clarify). After that Montag starts thinking the same way as Clarisse, regretting setting fire to books and questions his profession. The chief fireman, Beatty, comes to visit Montag at home when he calls in sick. Beatty tells Montag about how firemen came about in this world and that all firemen go through a time of self doubt that will eventually go away. He explains to him why books became outlawed and started getting burned. The last few pages of this part of the book are him taking books that he has stolen from other houses out of his vents and trying to read and understand what is written with his wife, who is reluctant to do so.