Stoneman

Stoneman is a fireman in the dystopian firehouse of Fahrenheit 451, a subordinate of Captain Beatty who participates in the burning of books and the old woman's house, and later assists in the destruction of Montag's home.

Identity and Role

Stoneman is one of the firemen who works alongside Montag and Black under Captain Beatty. He is a member of the firehouse crew that responds to alarms and carries out the burning of books and homes. Like the other firemen, he is described as having black hair, black brows, a fiery face, and a blue-steel shaved but unshaved look, making him a mirror-image of Montag himself. He is present during the firehouse card games and participates in the routine of the firehouse, including the betting on the Mechanical Hound's hunts.

Actions in the Burning of the Old Woman

Stoneman is part of the crew that responds to the alarm at the old woman's house. He runs up the sidewalk with Beatty and Black, and they crash the front door to grab the woman. He holds out the telephone alarm card with the complaint signed in telephone duplicate on the back, which reads "Have reason to suspect attic; 11 No. Elm, City. — E. B." The woman identifies the complainant as her neighbor, Mrs. Blake. Stoneman then goes upstairs with the other men, swinging silver hatchets at doors that are unlocked, and they hurl shovelfuls of magazines into the dusty air. After the woman sets herself on fire with a kitchen match, Stoneman rides back to the firehouse in silence with Montag and Beatty, not smoking his pipe.

Role in the Destruction of Montag's House

When the alarm is called on Montag's own house, Stoneman is present. He and Black wield axes, shattering window-panes to provide cross-ventilation as the house is prepared for burning. He is one of the firemen who stand behind Montag in the darkness after the house has been reduced to red coals and black ash. After Montag kills Beatty with the flamethrower, Stoneman and the other fireman do not move. Montag orders them to turn around, and they do so, their faces like blanched meat, streaming sweat. Montag beats their heads, knocking off their helmets and bringing them down on themselves, and they fall and lie without moving.