Clarisse Mcclellan An Important Character In Fahrenheit 451

Clarisse McClellan is an important character in the novel Fahrenheit 451 because of her personal feelings and effects of herself and others. Clarisse is a 17-year-old girl who lived in a supposed utopia. She was raised in a family that was not influenced by the rest of society's beliefs. She was an only child who lived with her mother, father, and uncle. Clarisse’s family was very peculiar and stuck out in society. Their lights were always on at night, they had conversations about the real world outside of the television, her uncle and father have been to the jail for doing things out of the ordinary in their society and have other quirks to their personality. They do not follow the description for the average mindset and actions of the town.

Her appearance was very distinct “Her face was slender and milk-white, and in it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiosity” (3). Clarisse had a personality that kept drawing Guy Montag to speak to her. She asked curious questions about the world around her and was extremely observant. Clarisse would take walks in nature, observe people in society, and does not enjoy spending time with children her age. The 17-year-olds in this time go around killing people for no reason and Clarisse tries to stay away from those kids to have a chance of staying alive. She eventually gets run over but Guy Montag does not discover that it might have been the reckless teens until they try to run him over when he is running from the Beetle and the police. Every day that Clarisse came to walk with Montag, she made him think about the world in a different way than he did before. He made him question his love and devotion to his wife. (enter quote about wife). By rubbing the dandelion to his chin, Guy Montag started to pay more attention to the signs from plants to the signs from technology or

“Suddenly it seemed a much younger voice was speaking for him. He opened his mouth and it was Clarisse McClellan saying, ‘didn’t firemen prevent fires rather than stoke them and get them going?’” (31). Clarisse was in Guy Montag’s head which caused him to repeat her ideas to his authoritative figures. Her thoughts transferred through his head and came out his mouth because of her influence on Montag's thoughts. She gave him the courage to steal the books and put his life at risk for curiosities sake. The impact Clarisse made on Montag made him ponder his personal beliefs. “How rarely did other people's faces take of you and through you back to your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought” (8). One look or thought of Clarisse made Montag wonder how he went his whole life under the influence of the government. She made his beliefs shift to reality and looking or thinking of her made him question her ability to influence him. When Guy Montag finally reaches land after floating in the river, he believed that Clarisse was there before him. “He was surprised to learn how certain he suddenly was of a single fact he could not prove. Once, long ago, Clarisse had walked here, where he is walking now.” (138). Guy wanted Clarisse to be alive so desperately that he made himself believe she was alive and across the river. His obsession with