Clarisse's Rethink In Fahrenheit 451

Everybody has a point in life where someone reminds them of something they have long forgotten and suddenly everything make sense. In the dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury titled Fahrenheit 451, the curious, sweet girl of the name Clarisse pops the bubble that Montag lives in. Bradbury includes Clarisse in the story to act as an eye opener for Montag. She introduces him to a past where firemen put out fires instead of starting them. Clarisse remains immune to the chatter of television and instead gazes through a kaleidoscope of colors that filters out the dull views of the government. Clarisse McClellan symbolizes everything the government and society disapproves of by questioning the rules and logic of their world, enjoying nature, and not going along with what society deems socially acceptable.

From one of his first experiences with Clarisse, Montag feels something that he realizes he never felt before in his daily life. He ponders to himself, "How rarely did other people's faces take of you and throw back to your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought?" (Bradbury 8). What Montag is pondering about is how she behaved so attentive and natural towards

He is shaken by their meeting at first but then finds himself considering her ideas about nature and the other fireman, and he begins to think about straying from his society’s ideals. Montag does not fully accept Clarisse at first, saying to her “You think too many things” (9). Montag becomes uneasy because it is the first time his conformist way of thinking and his obedient actions have been challenged. At the end of their first interaction, Clarisse asks whether he is happy or not. After being caught off guard by her question, he hastily responds that he was happy with his life, and afterward thinks that the question was meaningless and silly.

With a plethora of books on varying subject matters, the world of literature is almost endless. Quality books and authors often camouflage further meaning behind a character, theme or symbol providing a treasure for readers willing to search. Ray Bradbury includes a hidden treasure in his novel Fahrenheit 451 by contrasting two of his main characters. The overall message of the story describes a futuristic society with many technological advancements, and the prohibition of books, where Ray Bradbury shows how devastating a society is with mindless technology and lack of quality literature and interactions. However, by exploring the juxtaposition between the characters Mildred and Clarisse, a further meaning can be found through their differing

The displeasure these characters feel, for Montag, this begins with Clarisse. Meeting her was not the changing point but when she asked the question “Are you happy?” This the beginning of Montag questioning his life. It is shown how these feelings truly blossom by small actions Montag does. Montag not watching T.V., questioning his feelings for his wife and continuing to talk to Clarisse show how he is slowly changing in

Clarisse is talking to Montag as they walk down the street. This quote is significant because it shows the point where Montag is turned by Clarisse. He begins to doubt what the government and his friends are telling him. It might not seem like much at the time, but later in the book Montag begins to read books. ii)””A natural error.

One of the main characters in the novel is Clarisse, who is Montag’s neighbor, and she is the main character that starts his change. She starts his change by asking him a simple question. The book states “Then she seemed to remember something and came back to look at him with wonder and curiosity. ‘Are you happy?’ she said” (Bradbury).

Fahrenheit 451 is a book of warning. It is a reminder that we need knowledge to survive, and we need people who crave this knowledge to take over in generations to come. We need knowledge to combat ignorance and we get this knowledge from reading books and listening to other people's opinions. It is a warning of what might happen if we were to let the ignorance win, and a warning to never let this happen. It is a warning that what we have is valuable and a reminder to never take that for granted.

In other words, Clarisse embodies joy because she fearlessly talks about things that in any other case would be considered awkward. For example, while walking back home, Clarisse remarks, “ Are you happy?”(Bradbury 7). Her question is simple, yet for some reason it leaves Montag bewildered. This quote is significant because it paves the way for a new outlook on his life. In other words, Clarisse’s question leads Montag to finding that he is actually very unhappy with his current existence.

Soon, he began to wonder why he was not satisfied with his life, he began to question why nobody had the time to sit back for a minute and reflect upon their lives. He discovered that nothing he had done through out his life defined his character; everything Montag had done was merely influenced by his community. He had adapted an image of someone that was not him. He had to met Clarisse in order to realize that his behavior and his way of living was not who he wanted to be. Subsequently, he began a desperate quest to find his true character and comprehend his purpose in

Clarisse enlightens Montag on the past when people were not afraid to share their thoughts and opinions. Speaking without a filter in her mind, Clarisse immediately connects with Montag. He had not felt like that in a long while as his wife can get caught up in her own mind. Clarisse asks

Montag questions his beliefs when he encounters his new teen neighbour Clarisse, who exposes him to what being social really means rather than society’s interpretation.

And I’d never even thought of that before.” (49) Montag begins to realize how wrong what he is doing really was. Books were powerful, Clarisse was powerful. Montag’s world was widening, his vision was expanding.

As Clarisse questions why Montag begins to think about his actions and how they affect people as well as society. The reader realizes Montag is a puppet in the dystopian society following the protocol as he is told by society. Montag’s inability to reason with what he is doing makes him gullible. Montag’s society would consider him dangerous within his society, but in reality he is escaping what is a dysfunctional.

Every single person on this Earth is currently facing a problem, whether it is life changing or minute. The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury touches upon each type of conflict a character can face: man versus self, man versus man, and man versus society. The story follows around a fireman named Montag who realized that the he and the world around him is incredibly ignorant and censored. Three parts make up the book entitled The Hearth and the Salamander, The Sieve and the Sand, and Burning Bright. Bradbury chose to organize the book into sections because each section introduces a new form of conflict, which relates to the titles because The Hearth and the Salamander relates to two different types of people and how they view fire, The Sieve