Burning of the old woman

Montag and the other firemen respond to an alarm at an old house. Inside, they find an elderly woman who refuses to leave her books. She quotes the martyr Hugh Latimer, saying "Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." Despite Montag's pleas, she refuses to leave and sets herself on fire with a match, choosing to die with her books. Montag is horrified by her sacrifice and secretly steals a book from the scene, hiding it under his coat. This event marks a turning point in Montag's rebellion against his society.