Burning books is a theme since Guy Montag is a fireman. Firemen in this book do not put out fires but set them. He is told that books are dangerous and should be destroyed. This is what he belives until he actually sits down and reads a book. His view on books changes and he belives that books are good and should not be burned. He is burning books to try to make a utopian society where everything is right and nothing is harmful or bad.

Guy Montag first questions if he is happy when Clerise asks him "Are you happy?" (Bradbury 10). He says that he is happy but continues to question happiness throughout the book; what is happiness?