In Part One, Montag arrives at a scene, where a woman refuses to surrender her books as the firemen surround her home. When Montag enters her home, he discovers her illegal stash of novels, which falls onto his shoulders as the firemen proceed to burn the woman's library. While the woman is screaming accusations at the firemen, Montag happens to read a brief, intriguing sentence from an open book. Montag then instinctually grabs a random book and shoves it into his jacket without anybody noticing. Bradbury writes,

Montag had done nothing. His hand had done it all, his hand, with a brain of its own, with a conscience and a curiosity in each trembling finger, had turned thief...Now, it plunged the book back under his arm, pressed it tight to sweating armpit, rushed out empty, with a magician's flourish! (17).

Later on, it is revealed that Montag has been stealing books from various "crime scenes," which illustrates his desire to engage in intellectual pursuits. Montag ends up hiding the books that he has stolen inside the ventilator of his home.