Montag grows increasingly dissatisfied with his life the more he talks with Clarisse. He starts to wonder if perhaps books aren’t so bad after all, and even steals one from a house he burns down. Meanwhile Clarisse disappears, and his boss, Captain Beatty, is growing suspicious. He lectures Montag on the dangers of books and explains the origin of their profession. Far from rejuvenated, Montag feels more rebellious than ever. He spends the afternoon with his wife reading a secret stash of books…
In short, when Montag meets Clarisse, his world begins to change. She leads him to begin to think about everything. In the beginning, Montag just goes with the flow and doesn’t question anything. But as the book goes on, his curiosity expands. He collects books and begins to read. Montag begins to question his line of work and the connection he has with his wife. In the end, Montag ends up in a better state of mind, and is willing to help others learn what Clarisse taught…
By asking a simple question like this, it challenged Montag to think beyond his usual capacity, thinking outside of his normal life. He’s began to have thoughts about his definition of true happiness. He starts to realize he’s not truly happy, that’s why it took him a while to respond to her question. This quote by Clarisse is one of the most important quotes throughout the story. Without this quote, Montag wouldn’t doubt himself about his true happiness.…
What do you think the author meant when he said “How rarely did other people’s faces take of you and throw back to you your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought”? What does this question reveal about Montag’s state of mind?…
As Montag is walking home after burning some books the first character he meets is Clarisse. Clarisse and Montag talk for a while and many topics…
At first, he feels comfortable with his job, but when Mildred tells Montag that Clarisse is “gone”, Montag starts to have thoughts on the questions Clarisse asked him (Bradbury 23). “”How did it start? How did you get into it? How did you pick your work and how did you happen to think to take the job you have?”” Clarisse asks Montag (Bradbury 47). This makes him take a new perspective on his life setting him on his journey to find the truth about his society. While Montag is going through the events, the stress rises within…
Before he met Clarisse, Montag was an ordinary fireman, doing job. He did not question why, who, or what, he just did what he did. “Are you happy?” she said (14). This question triggered something inside of Montag and started the transformation. He started to think more, and to care more. He was becoming something dangerous. “I’ve tried to imagine,” said Montag, “just how it would feel. I mean, to have firemen burn our houses and our books.” Montag is starting to “defect” from the societal norm and is causing havoc. “Well,” said Beatty, “now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damn wings, he wonders why. Didn’t I hint enough when I sent the hound around your…
Clarisse is very courageous. She questions society and doesn’t follow the unspoken rules and regulations. It takes a lot of courage to stand against an enemy that everyone else follows blindly. Because of this trait, Montag is able to see all the wrongs of society. He begins to see life as it actually is. When she asks Montag if firemen once used to help stop accidental fires, he laughs in reply. “You laugh when I haven't been funny and you answer right off. You never stop to think what I've asked you.” (Bradbury 2) This is the first time Clarisse challenges the way Montag is brought up to think; however, only until later in their meetings does Guy truly understand how incorrect society’s views…
Using Clarisse McClellan as a catalyst, Bradbury begins to show how Montag questions his perceptions of society, which creates an inner conflict within himself. Before Montag met Clarisse, he was a proud fireman always ready to start a fire…
As the main protagonist of the book, Montag portrays a dynamic character, whereas his perception of society around him changes throughout the book. Not only did he question their actions, but also his own happiness. This showed that he was, in fact, more intelligent than the others. This is significant because society is administered by a single lie that happiness should only exist.…
This hints at Montag’s identity crisis early on. In fact, Clarisse’s few lines have sparked the catalyst that will make Montag question his society’s character. As Clarisse acknowledges Montag’s differentness, Montag feels a conflict between his duty towards his society and his subconscious. He starts to sense wrongness in the society. When he feels his body divide into opposites, he begins to realize that although this dismal culture seems content, what meets the eye isn’t always true.…
In contrast to Beatty, Montage is a character who went through from a literary darkness to self-enlightenment. At first, Montage was ignorant as shown that he enjoyed burning books. But as he met Clarisse, his curiosity has led him to question things in ways he has never done before. Clarisse sparked his curiosity to question things when she asked him whether he was happy. Later on, he was confronted by knowledge as he sees the old lady willing to sacrifice for books. This has led him to reflect on their importance. Montage was eventually determined to gain more knowledge and find greater significance in his life. “Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means…
He never even thought to mention or think about it until he met Clarisse. Most people in this time prefers to watch tv or have a good time. Clarisse is a very knowledgable 17 year old girl who is interested in other things beyond what the society around her is interested in, or being forced and limited to. She draws Montag into the life she has lived and became so interested in. Montag starts to genuinely become interested in the things that she are saying and starts to question and also wonder what is really going on around him. After the burning of a woman’s books, house, and also herself, he decides to see for himself. After realizing that everyone is on edge about him confiscating the book from the woman’s house, he then realizes that its not only the decreasing use of books in the society that is the issue but the content that they hold. A content that could possibly change lives band change how they…
In Montag’s society one does not think or question what they are being told, just blindly do as told. At the start of the novel, we see Montag fit this mold, and this is shown when he states that he is a firefighter that burns books, and when questioned about it has no answers other than he was told to. However, once he meets Clarisse, a girl who at first frightened Montag with her lack of respect of his authority, she challenges his most ingrained beliefs with her innocent questioning. In a society where reading, driving slowly, or just walking outside alone is outlawed and a conversation is a suspicious event, Clarisse who…
Now these two people are both everyday citizens in society however one’s knowledge supersedes the other. Bradbury uses these two people as substitutes for Clarisse and Montag when first meeting. Clarisse’s knowledge overshadows Montag’s with simple things such as dew on the grass. Clarisse addresses this when on a stroll with Montag when Montag starts being frustrated with such an observation “He suddenly couldn’t remember if he had known this or not and it made him quite irritable”(7). This shows how Clarisse’s knowledge is victorious to Montag’s ignorance, making him frustrated about such a simple aspect in everyday life. This is not the only time Clarisse has changed Montag with her knowledge, when finished with the walk Clarisse changes Montag’s whole perspective when asking him if he’s happy “Of course I’m happy. What does she think I’m not”(18)? This shows Clarisse’s knowledge now changing Montag in…