The flashback occurs in part two as Montag and his wife Mildred are reading. Montag feels lost amidst the complicated reading material and feels as if he needs someone to teach him how to understand what he is reading. The flashback starts as follows:
"Hold on. He shut his eyes. Yes, of course. Again he found himself thinking of the green park a year ago. The thought had been with him many times recently, but now he remembered how it was that day in the city park when he had seen that old man in the black suit hide something, quickly, in his coat" (74).
Montag remembers that the old man admitted to being a former English professor and that his name was Faber. The two spoke for about an hour's time, but it was mostly Montag listening to Faber recite poetry. From this flashback we learn that Montag was very interested in what Faber had to say. We learn that Montag has been interested in finding out what is contained in books for at least a year before he met Clarisse and before the woman burns herself rather than live without books--two very important events that push Montag over the edge. We also learn that neither Faber not Montag mentioned that Montag was a fireman during their first visit. Since Faber felt comfortable with Montag by the end of their time together, he gave Montag his number on a piece of paper and said, "For your file. . . in case you decide to be angry with me" (75).
The whole experience with Faber, and the fact that he gave Montag his number in the flashback, foreshadows that Montag will look for the paper and contact the professor for help in his current search for understanding. This is significant because Faber becomes an important part of Montag's plan to systematically frame the other firemen by planting books in their own houses. This is their plan to sabotage the system in an effort to bring back literacy to their society; so, the flashback and foreshadowing help to move the plot forward.
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