Section 1: The Hearth and the Salamander The beginning of the novel begins with the main character Guy Montag burning down a house. Montag uses a kerosene pack to set the house on fire with the specific aim of burning all the books in it to ashes. After Montag successfully destroys all the books and the house, he returns to the fire station. Montag, at the station, polishes his helmet, hangs up his jacket and takes a shower. After a short time, Montag leaves the fire station to take the subway home. After Montag gets off the subway and walks down the street, he meets a girl named Clarisse McCiellan, who he later discovers during their walk to be his new neighbor. During McCiellan and Montag's conversation, they discuss his career as a firefighter, how long he has been a firefighter, how she is not afraid of him, and whether firefighters put out fires instead of starting them in the past . After walking a few blocks, they return home. Before McCiellan leaves, she asks Montag if he is happy. However, he is unable to respond as she leaves. Montag then enters his house and goes to his room. Montag, before he can get to his bed, trips over something on the floor. He uses his lighter to light his room. Montag then sees his wife barely alive because she has taken a bottle of sleeping pills. Montag grabs the phone and calls for medical help for his wife. Two men come into the house and use two machines to pump his stomach and clean his blood. After the two men leave, Montag comes out onto the porch of McCiellan's house. After a while, he goes home and falls asleep. The next morning, Montag wakes up to his wife Mildred preparing breakfast in the kitchen. The two o...... middle of paper ......ity in time. Unfortunately, Montag realizes that they are no longer there and neither is the town they all knew. After thinking about Faber and McCiellan, he thinks about Mildred and their first meeting in Chicago. Montag and the others are knocked down by the explosion. Soon after, Montag and the others manage to get up. The group and Montag look at what remains today of the town from which they came. The men then light a small fire to prepare and eat breakfast. After breakfast, they plan to walk further upstream. The group and Montag continue their journey and Granger reminds Montag that only the books are important, they as individuals are not. As the group goes down the river, Montag then thinks of a passage from the Bible. Montag tells the group about the move and they keep it in mind as they head to a new town, a new start, a new beginning..