“Knowledge will forever rule ignorance; and a people who intend to govern themselves must arm themselves with the power that knowledge gives” ~ James Madison Everyone has ignorance and it will always be present. It is a question of how the knowledge that judges the outcome comes into play. James Madison describes a similar aspect. He mentions knowledge as the power that alleviates ignorance and enables people to govern themselves. In Fahrenheit 451, the character Montag is a great example. He was once an ideal, ignorant citizen, but everything changes when he meets Clarisse, who opens a vault full of knowledge for him. Furthermore, the craving for knowledge grows and Montag meets Faber who helps him reveal the meaning of knowledge, allowing Montag to get rid of his ignorance. Ultimately, the conversation with Beatty completely destroys Montag's ignorance and allows him to be his own ruler. Through Montag's experiences with Clarisse, Faber, and Beatty, Ray Bradbury establishes the theme of knowledge destroying indisputable ignorance leading to enlightenment in his novel, Fahrenheit 451. Montag's interaction with Clarisse opens up a world to Montag full of knowledge when she forces him to remember the past. . Montag initially doesn't know the past, but everything changes when Clarisse questions him about the history of firefighters: "'Is it true that long ago firefighters put out fires instead of starting them?" 'NO. Houses have always been fireproof, take my word for it.' 'Strange. I heard once that a long time ago, houses burned down by accident and they needed firefighters to stop the flames. …take……at the center of the paper……the knowledge of ignorance leading to enlightenment through Montag’s interactions with Clarisse, Faber, and Beatty. Clarisse opens up a world of knowledge to Montag and Faber further strengthens it. Ultimately, knowledge vaporizes Montag's ignorance by showing him the right path when he kills Beatty, who insulted Clarisse and Faber. In doing so, Montag changes completely. He becomes a more enlightened and thoughtful person from an ideal, ignorant citizen who has no knowledge. A change that is not possible without the strength of the knowledge that Montag gains from Clarisse and Faber. As James Madison said, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance,” so as long as knowledge exists, there will always be a way to overcome ignorance and allow people to govern themselves. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012. Print.