Ray Bradbury is an American author who has never been shy to speak his mind through his assortment of short stories and novels. In his own words, he is a “preventer of fires”, not a starter of them. The story follows Guy Montag, a firefighter in a dystopian society, who upon meeting Clarisse McClellan, becomes involved in the dilemma of staying in a numb, familiar life or entering a foreign, dangerous one. The story highlights issues in society that are prevalent even today. The alienation in Montag’s society severs human ties and stifles happiness; however, it allows those outcast to associate and survive for a better future. In this society, human connections and affection are lost, leaving people to be present but not together. For example, …show more content…
In society, these individuals are the learned men (“book people”), outcast for their love of books, and refusal to attune to a loveless, lonely life. Though they were not punished by the government for having opposing views, these “odd minorities” have decided to survive and cry in the “wilderness” than live a cushioned life without the comfort of books (Bradbury146). After the murder of Beatty, the hunted Montag, meets Granger, one of the outcast men who explains, “we are book burners, too. We read the books and burn them” (Bradbury145). Their goal is to read, memorize then burn the books, and “pass the books on to our children” to continue the cycle, and wait for the world to start and end their wars, until they can be “of some use in the world” (Bradbury146). Though not physically isolated from society, Clarisse McClellan is considered antisocial and has become an outcast in society. Clarisse knows “I'm antisocial, they say…I'm very social indeed…it all depends on what you mean by social…I don’t think it's very social to get a bunch of people together and then not let them talk”, referring to how schools are set up to “run us ragged” by keeping students busy with following instructions instead of learning valuable lessons (Bradbury26-27). Clarisse is alienated from her peers because she was raised to remember the old world, while most others who were not, see her as peculiar, forgettable, and an easy target to scare. She does, however, find comfort in Montag, whose life becomes transformed soon after their first meeting, and despite Clarisse’s disappearance (and presumed death), she continues to have a lasting effect on him, she was correct, the world is strange. Montag decides something must be done about the unjust way outcasts