Fahrenheit 451 Impact On Society

In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag, the protagonist, finds pleasure in burning books and takes pride in his occupation as a book-burning fireman. He lives in a society where the government suppresses people from reading and having their own personal thoughts and perspectives on life. Clarisse, a girl Montag encounters, is known for being antisocial and is labeled by others as "17 and crazy." Clarisse’s curiosity about society affects Montag as he realizes what kind of society he currently lives in and becomes determined to break free from the government's possession. The impact Clarisse has on Montag is evident in his self-awareness and change in attitude towards society as a whole. However, when Clarisse dies, Montag notices

In order to make Montag realize that he does not actually know anything about himself, Clarisse asks him if he is happy. For instance, “she seemed to remember something and came back to look at him with wonder and curiosity. "Are you happy?" she said.” (Bradbury pg. 7). Montag immediately responds with “Of course I’m happy.” However, after giving it some thought, he realizes that the answer to this issue is more complicated than he initially imagined. It was said on page 1 that he enjoyed burning books, but he has now realized that this is not true happiness and that he was miserable. Additionally, on pg. 7 it says “and if you look”-she nodded at the sky-”there's a man in the moon." He hadn't looked for a long time.” Clarisse points out even the smallest of things that Montag, along with the rest of society, would have never cared to think about such as on pg. 6, Clarisse asks Montag “you laugh when I haven't been funny and you answer right off. You never stop to think what I've asked you.” Montag is at a loss for words when confronted by Clarisse and instead laughs. No one in society takes the time to reflect on the choices they make or the things they say aloud. Unlike the rest of society, Clarisse is not afraid to ask questions and spend her time wondering why and not how. Montag finds this fascinating as he has never met somebody with such unusual

Building on the facts stated before, it is believed that Clarisse was too curious for her own good and questioned fairly frequently about the government's secrets which the government saw as a threat. They believed that people should not have to think. Clarisse is first introduced on pg. 3, and she served as Montag's "ray of hope" in an effort to show him how society is being destroyed by him and how it is not too late for him to stop it. The government misleads people into believing that they live in a utopian society. However, Clarisse reveals to Montag that in reality, they are actually living in a dystopian society where the government’s aim is to control every aspect of people’s lives. On page 58, Beatty tells Montag that "we must all be alike" in order to fit into the norm, while Clarisse demonstrates the value of originality and how you should not be afraid to go against the rules and stand out from the crowd. Clarisse was beginning to know too much about society, so it is believed that the government prevented her from disclosing information in order to keep society in their control. Clarisse’s death meant a lot to Montag for instance, “I wonder if they were the ones who killed Clarisse? He stopped and his mind said it again, very loud. I wonder if they were the ones who killed Clarisse! He wanted to run after them yelling. His eyes watered.” (Bradbury