The Impact Of Clarisse In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Have you ever found unexpected familiarity with someone? Guy Montag is a firefighter and the main character of the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury. Montag has a job as a firefighter that does not put out fires but instead starts them. He has a day to day life of burning old books that society deems as useless and illegal to have obtained. One day when Montag has a conversation with a unique teenage girl, Clarisse, he realizes that everything in his life is not what it seems. From examining the impact Clarisse has on Montag, Montag’s sense of care and understanding of others, and choosing actions that are not expected of him it is clear that Montag and Izuku Midoriya are similar.

Clarisse has a large impact on

Clarisse is outside in the rain walking by herself. Montag is heading home from work and walks by Clarisse. Clarisse begins a conversation with him. They are talking about their lives, she is about to leave but turns back to Montag. Clarisse asks Montag, “are you happy?” (Bradbury 7). Montag reacts a bit offendedly, and Clarisse leaves. He wonders why Clarisse would think he may not be happy. He feels fulfilled and happy with his life. He continues walking home and goes inside his house. After spending some time in his room, Montag questions if he is lying to himself about being happy. He wonders about what being happy feels like. The narrator makes Montag’s emotions clear, “He was not happy. He said the words to himself” (9). As he thinks about that question he realizes that he is not happy. He would have not even questioned his happiness if it were not for Clarisse. His lack of happiness is from a lack of something in his life, his life could be so much more. Clarisse is the spark that makes him realize that his

Books are found in another house late at night. Montag and some other firefighters are called to burn the house down. All of them get to the house and they see that an old woman is standing by the books trying to protect them from getting burned. Montag tries to convince her to move away from the books so she does not get burned. Montag requests to the woman, “‘You can come with me’ ‘No’, she said. ‘Thank you anyway.’” (36). The other firefighters do not care enough to try to save the old woman. They are all fine with just burning her with the books but Montag cares enough for her life that he wants to save her. Montag is also understanding enough to know why the woman would want to stay behind and burn with the books. After trying to save her, he let her stay because that is what she wants. She burns with the books but Montag respected her last wishes to stay with the books. Izuku is also caring and understanding. He wants to save others and protect them from dangerous situations. He has and will continue to be a hero saving innocent lives. To save those innocent lives he often has to fight and get past villains otherwise known as criminals. Though the villains are his enemies he can understand why they would go into a life of villainy. Some people are forced into that kind of life. Others have no way to live besides that. Izuku and Montag both wanted to save someone. Montag was understanding enough to leave the old woman