Who Is Clarisse In Fahrenheit 451

The first line of dialogue that Montag says is “it was a pleasure to burn”(pg. 1), which elucidates that he is just like the rest of the society. Bradbury introduces both of these characters as ignorant so the reader is able to draw a similarity between the way Montag is illustrated in the first page and how Mildred is characterized throughout the novel. This aids in tracing Montag’s coming of age journey because as he gets enlightened, the reader is able to distinguish how his mindset starts to diverge further away from Mildred’s. At the very end of the second chapter leading into the beginning of the third chapter, Beatty orders Montag to burn his own house, and as Beatty is speaking to Montag, Mildred runs past them “with her body stiff”(pg. 108). Through the employment of body language, Bradbury implies that Mildred is the one that turned Montag in to

She tells him that firefighting doesn’t seem right for him. This comment causes a reaction in Montag, “He felt his body divide itself into a hotness and a coldness, a softness and a hardness, a trembling and a not trembling, the two halves grinding one upon the other” (pg 24). His reaction shows a conflict, that is causing emotion and thought. He begins to wonder why he isn’t happy.

Montag eventually reaches a point where he can’t stand his normal life anymore. Clarisse, intentionally or not, has shocked Montag back into his childlike curiosity. All he wants to do is learn, something he’s never felt so attached to before. This is how Montag becomes comfortable enough with his wonder to start reading books. Within just a few moments of interaction with her, Clarisse was able to bring back the curiosity in Montag’s

Awakening “It is reasonable that everyone who asks justice should do justice.” This quote by Thomas Jefferson displays the attitude that the main character, Guy Montag, of Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 has. Montag’s search for justice against the government censorship of books is a far cry from his ignorance towards the injustice at the beginning. This search leads to hardship and minor triumphs towards Montag’s ideal goal of reinstating books as a positive object in society. Guy Montag assists the author, Ray Bradbury, in showing the reader how important it is to keep literature alive in the modern world so it doesn 't die off in the fast-moving digitized years ahead.

“A time to keep silent and a time to speak,” (158) is a quote from the book Fahrenheit 451. This novel is all about how people conform to a society that burns books. They do so because they make people “think” thoughts that the government doesn’t want them to. Though there are some who are not conformed and read books to enlighten themselves to the ways of the past, that changes the way they see the present. Mildred, Faber, and Clarisse are characters that represent different aspects of conformity or nonconformity in the Fahrenheit 451 society.

With her never-ending questions and her way of thinking. Without her presence, nothing would have changed and everyone's way of thinking, including Montag’s, would have stayed the same. When Clarisse was standing in the street that night, no one thought she would have such a big impact on anyone or anything. However, she did. Montag did not know it yet, but the moment he saw Clarisse in the street that night, his life and way of thinking were forever

Feeling despondent, Montag looks to his new friend Faber for encouragement and he finds it, after saying, “‘I don’t know. I feel guilty---’ ‘No you mustn’t! (Faber replies) If there were no war, if there was peace in the world, I’d say fine, have fun!

She asked him such a simple question: “Are you happy?”. Montag then realized how unhappy he actually was which led to his whole world changing. Montag later realized that Mildred was a big part of his unhappiness. He became known that, because of her coldness he became cold in a way too. He came home to nothing every night.

When she found Montag she saw potential in him, Clarisse saw the way that

Throughout the story, Clarisse makes Montag question his surroundings; she makes Montag rethink his marriage, society and job. Clarisse’s claims eventually cause Montag to read books and rebel. Clarisse causes Montag to question his marriage when she claims, “You’re not in love with anyone.” (19). This realization allows Montag not to be dragged in Mildred’s world of drugs and

Montag is forced to explore his own meaning of individuality In a society of followers . When he visits Professor Faber at his home. He begs Faber, “I want you to teach me how to understand what I read,” . Montag is capable of physically reading out words, but he is unable to put any meaning or emotion behind the texts he reads. Montag desperately wishes too understand and think about the texts.

“The books are to remind us what asses and fools we are.” (p. 86) Montag brought up an idea to stage a crime and put books all over the firemen's building. This could have the building burnt to pieces and cause a lot of suspicion.

Montag’s character changed greatly throughout the book. The walks with Clarisse got him thinking that maybe that he is not thinking at all. Clarisse has been a thinker all of her life because of her family reading the books and all of the knowledge her parents have of the older days. Throughout the book Montag starts to get smarter because Clarisse gets him to start thinking for himself. Clarisse lives with her Mother, Father, and Uncle in the same neighborhood as Montag.

In this moment of desperation, Montag recalls, yet again, his conversation with Professor Faber, and remembers that he has his contact information in a file at home (Bradbury and Gaiman 71). He calls Faber and asks questions about how many copies of specific books still exist; Faber is scared and hangs up the phone (Bradbury and Gaiman 71). Montag decides he needs to see Faber in person, as he is the only person that Montag knows that can interpret books. Montag arrives at Faber’s home and must convince Faber to let him in, then he explains that he needs to learn how to understand what he is reading in the books. Faber is quick to disclose that there are three things that are necessary to understand books.

The book, “Fahrenheit 451”, written by Ray Bradbury expresses a world in which every aspect of life is extremely censored and controlled. Specifically when Captain Beatty goes to Montag’s home and understands that Montag is going through a stressful portion of his life, specifically struggling with his duties and responsibilities of a fireman, he attempts to comfort Montag with an explanation of how life operates and how history has always been this way. This explanation severely distorts the realities of life. A specific instance of this distortion is when Beatty states “Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs or the names of state capitals or how much corn Iowa grew last year”. (Bradbury 58)