Fahrenheit 451 The Sieve and the Sand, by Ray Bradbury

Bradbury uses several significant religious references in this section to illuminate Montag's process of self-realization. First, Faber reads from the Book of Job, a part of the Bible in which God and Satan make a wager about whether Job will remain faithful to God when subjected to terrible afflictions. Clearly, Faber encourages Montag to endure despite the difficulty of his undertaking. Montag, however, is becoming so tired of mindlessly doing what other people say that …

…through Montag's phase and warning that a little knowledge can be dangerous without further knowledge to temper the revolutionary spirit it produces. Faber tells Montag to consider Beatty's argument and then hear his, and to decide for himself which side to follow. Here he lets Montag make his own decision and stops ordering him around. Beatty's use of literature against Montag is brilliant; this is obviously the most powerful weapon he has against Montag's doubts.