arisseFahrenheit 451: The Meetings Between Montag and ClarisseThe novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is about a futuristic societythat has banned books. Firemen that start fires are used to burn the books whenthey are found.
One fireman, Guy Montag, remembers a time before book burningand tries to right this horrible metropolis of zombies. An important part ofthe novel Fahrenheit 451 is the meetings between Montag and Clarisse. The meetings between Montag and Clarisse begins a series of events andchanges in Montag’s way of thinking and lifestyle. Clarisse remarks ” Are youhappy? ” (10). Montag begins to realize that he is not happy after Clarisseasks the question and arrives in his home.
Montag observes ” Darkness. He wasnot happy. He was not happy. He said the words to himself.
He recognized thisas the true state of affairs ” (12). Montag’s awareness is triggered at thepoint in which Clarisse states ” But you’re just a man, after all ” (7). Thisstatement by Clarisse makes Montag think of a time when he was a child duringpower failure, and he wishes it not to end. In Montag’s second meeting with Clarisse, the two of them find adandelion and Clarisse tells Montag of rubbing it under his chin.
Clarisseexplains ” If it rubs off, it means I’m in love “(22). Clarisse rubs thedandelion under Montag’s chin and Clarisse remarks “What a shame, you’re not inlove with anyone ” (22). Montag thinks that he is in love, but realizes that heis not in love and not at all happy. In the third meeting, Montag begins to feel that he has known Clarisseforever.
Montag states ” You make me feel very old and very much like a father” (28). Clarisse remarks ” Now you explain why you haven’t any daughters likeme, if you love children so much? ” (28). Montag realizes that it is a longtime since anyone has cared enough to ask a good question rather than sit aroundand worry about themselves. Montag answers ” My wife, she .
. . she just neverwanted any children at all ” (28). Eventually Montag realizes that he must makean effort to stop the chaos of his society by bringing books back to life anddestroying the current firemen.
The meetings between Montag and Clarisse trigger an awareness and changein Montag’s life. Montag realizes that his life and the lives of all the othercitizens are not as great as they are worked up to be and that he is not happyat all. In the end Montag decides that he must change the way society is runonce and for all. All of this is a result of the meetings between Montag andClarisse. English
