against. Henry tries to explain why he cannot deviate from the segregationist views of the rest of the community. Trying to justify his actions, he asks her if she has “ever considered that men, especially men, must conform to certain demands of the community they live in simply so they can be of service to it” (Lee Chapter 8). Henry points out that Jean-Louise is entitled to certain wildness with no regard for the consequences it holds because she is a “Finch” and “all Finches” are known to be amusingly “mad.” On the other hand, he is obliged to keep in line, because any misstep would be seen by noted as the “trash” within him rearing its ugly head. For upper-class Jean Louise, the ability to freely follow her conscience is taken for granted. …show more content…
She shares her questioning nature with him asking him if he is happy, which prompts him to ponder over his life. Clarisse continuously rebels against society, questioning why her world is so intent on suppressing the population. She only sees her world as something that should be changed, and her brazen nature amongst her suppressed counterparts brings about her defeat. When Montag asks Captain Beatty about Clarisse’s disappearance, Beatty describes Clarisse as a “time bomb” and justifies her death when he says: “[When] you ask ‘Why’ to a lot of things . . . you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it.” To him, her decision to rebel and refusal to submit to society’s subjugations makes her “better off dead” (Bradbury 58). Her relentless questioning that stems from her immense desire to transform the world she lives in costs her her …show more content…
She admits to her uncle, Dr. Jack Finch, that she “can’t fight them,” and that she feels that she has “no fight left” (Lee 211). Her Uncle responds, showing her that her one-directional views and rebellious attempts have hindered her ability to see the truth that lies before her. “You confused your father with God. You never saw him as a man with a man’s heart, and a man’s failings—I’ll grant you it may have been hard to see, he makes so few mistakes, but he makes ‘em like all of us. You were an emotional cripple, leaning on him, getting the answers from him, assuming that your answers would always be his answers” (Lee 216). Failing to comprehend what truly surrounds her causes her a lot of unnecessary hardship and
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.
Clarisse is the most important side character in story Fahrenheit 451, because she helps Montag change the most. She helps Montag realize the simple things, she constantly asks him questions about him and his life, finally she is just the most important side character of them all. Clarisse is a major key in changing Montag because she helps him realize the simple things that are happening around him. A simple thing being that “there`s a man in the moon”(page 7), it goes on saying “he hadn't looked in a long time” (7). Something else that Clarisse shows Montag which is simple to find are the billboards that are 200 feet long.
This changes how Montag acts in the book by making him realize how he isn’t happy with his life. This hits Montag hard because he realizes that she is the only person that actually cares for him in this harsh world. Clarisse had to vanish from the novel because in most dystopian novels, there is a protagonist that is opposing what is happening in
Clarisse is even sent to a psychiatrist because of the way she thinks. In fact, she is free spirited and the opposite of how society has been taught to think and feel. Moreover, Beatty says that Clarisse was a “time bomb,” and authorities were scared that she was going to explode with thoughts and information. This is exactly what the government does not want in this society, because they want everyone to be controlled and the same. Clarisse did not fit into society, which is why the government might have killed her, but readers do not know.
Fahrenheit 451 Essay Expressing yourself has always been a struggle. You’re constantly fighting to be yourself among a crowd of people that don’t want you too. Mainstream media has set ideals for both men and women alike so it’s hard not to be what they want. We see pictures of women with flat stomachs and men with piles of muscles and assume that’s what we need to be like in order to gain the acceptance of the people around us.
According to Storm Jameson, “Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.” Jameson suggests that happiness is not just having fun, but it is to be present in the moment and to make connections with others. Happiness is rarely found in the novel Fahrenheit 451, because this joyless society defines “fun” as driving with the need for speed and with an intention of killing small animals or people or the deadening white noise of endless television viewing. The novel Fahrenheit 451 conveys this very idea as the protagonist Guy Montag and others in his society are unable to achieve full happiness. Author Ray Bradbury suggests the truth of Jameson’s statement primarily through the
In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, Bradbury structures his novel by using the literary structures exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. All throughout the novel, Bradbury ensures readers are able to distinguish the different structures by the way he organizes the big moments, factors that led up to the moments and events that took place afterwards. To do this, Bradbury uses details and description to express the different literary structures which lead to the climax and relate to the overall themes throughout the novel. In the novel, Bradbury uses a series of events to make up the exposition and rising action.
In this society, we have many rights as a citizen. For example, we are asked to follow rules, or laws made by the government. Now, some of us chose to follow society’s rules, and some of us don’t. Guy Montag, the main character in the novel Fahrenheit 451, chose to be one of the ones who doesn’t follow rules. During Montag’s career as a fireman, he stole books from burning houses, even though it was illegal, very dangerous, and could possibly cost Montag his life.
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
Ray Bradbury 's Fahrenheit 451 is about Montag, a fireman who burns books instead of saving them, who questions the government 's decision to outlaw reading all together. Montag 's questioning is brought up when he has a lengthy discussion with his young curious neighbor, Clarisse. This seventeen year old, asked so many questions about life ,and the meaning of things, she also spoke to Montag about the horrible society they live in. Although Clarisse was killed early on in the book, she left an imprint on Montag to speak out against the government and Beatty. Clarisse like all children was curious, she’d spend her days wandering the town looking at flowers and people.
It all begins on what seemed like a normal day in a normal world. Guy Montag, liked being a fireman, “It was a pleasure to burn.” (Fahrenheit 451, p. 1) However, this in his world being a fireman had a different meaning entirely. A fireman did not help save people or put out the fire they started them.
Clarisse puts thoughts into his mind, which causes him to ponder thoughts like ‘I’m not happy,’ ‘Why does Mildred keep on forgetting that she already took pills?’ and ‘Why do we burn books?’ She also explains the truth of history, the history behind his occupation and society, and how Montag isn’t like the other people that she’s met. Everyday, Montag talks with Clarisse after work and sometimes follow what Clarisse has said - drive slowly, think, taste the rain, and rub a dandelion under his chin to see of he’s in love - but during a week, he never saw her again. He asked Mildred about it
In the novel Fahrenheit 451 conformity and individuality is something to talk about. Conformity and individuality are very important themes in Fahrenheit 451 and in modern life. The novel demonstrates how individuality is very rare. Is about modern America. Without individuality today, everyone would not be different and would follow someone else trends and everything about them.
“Some people cross your path and change your whole direction.” This quote relates to Ray Bradbury’s character Clarisse, who moved the plot even after her death. Before Clarisse, Montag had never met someone who asked, “why” instead of “how.” Clarisse is the reason Montag started thinking about the world, the good and the bad things. She sparked his questioning of everything, and made him appreciate the small things in life.
Jacob Irish Irish 1 Ms. Matthews HSE 3: Period 5 3 November 2014 Conformity versus Individuality “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Conformity and equality may seem desirable at first; however, it actually takes away one’s individuality. Ray Bradbury warned about this in his novel Fahrenheit 451. His novel takes place in a futuristic society in which advanced technology and government censorship erases any interest in books and establishes the enjoyment of simple pastimes as suspicious. Due to technological advances which have produced fire-proof houses, firemen burn books.