For a three-act plot analysis, put on your screenwriter’s hat. Moviemakers know the formula well: at the end of Act One, the main character is drawn in completely to a conflict. During Act Two, she is farthest away from her goals. At the end of Act Three, the story is resolved.
Act I
Gosh, when a book is divided into three parts, this just seems too easy. Still, we can identify the elements of each act in each part of Fahrenheit. At the end of Part One, Montag has awakened to new possibilities and rejected his role as a fireman (for the most part). There’s no turning back now.
Act II
Act II ends when things at their worst – Montag’s house is about to be torched and our hero is getting arrested.
Act III
After a dramatic chase scene through the city, the novel wraps itself up. Montag gains new knowledge, abandons his old life, and begins an entirely different, more aware existence.