Fahrenheit 451: The Meetings Between Montag and Clarisse The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is about a futuristic society that has banned books. Firemen that start fires are used to burn the books when they are found. One fireman, Guy Montag, remembers a time before book burning and tries to right this horrible metropolis of zombies. An important part of the novel Fahrenheit 451 is the meetings between Montag and Clarisse. The meetings between Montag and Clarisse begins a series of events and changes in Montag’s way of thinking and lifestyle. Clarisse remarks ‘ Are you happy? ‘ (10).
Montag begins to realize that he is not happy after Clarisseasks the question and arrives in his home. Montag observes ‘ Darkness. He was not happy. He was not happy. He said the words to himself. He recognized this as the true state of affairs ‘ (12).
Montag’s awareness is triggered at the point in which Clarisse states ‘ But you ” re just a man, after all ‘ (7).
This statement by Clarisse makes Montag think of a time when he was a child during power failure, and he wishes it not to end. In Montag’s second meeting with Clarisse, the two of them find a dandelion and Clarisse tells Montag of rubbing it under his chin. Clarisseexplains ‘ If it rubs off, it means I’m in love ‘ (22).
Clarisse rubs the dandelion under Montag’s chin and Clarisse remarks ‘What a shame, you ” re not in love with anyone ‘ (22).
The Essay on Shortage Of Books Fahrenheit 451
Shortage of Books "I've always said poetry and tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feelings, poetry and sickness; all that mush!" exclaimed Mrs. Bowles to Montag in Ray Bradbury's book Fahrenheit 451 (103). Mrs. Bowles thinks written words can make an individual really gloomy and disconsolate. Because the goal of this society is to always be satisfied, and to stay satisfied people watch ...
Montag thinks that he is in love, but realizes that his 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 like me, 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 around and worry about themselves. Montag answers ‘ My wife, she…
she just never wanted any children at all ‘ (28).
Eventually Montag realizes that he must make an effort to stop the chaos of his society by bringing books back to life and destroying the current firemen. The meetings between Montag and Clarisse trigger an awareness and change in Montag’s life. Montag realizes that his life and the lives of all the other citizens are not as great as they are worked up to be and that he is not happy at all.
In the end Montag decides that he must change the way society is run once and for all. All of this is a result of the meetings between Montag and Clarisse.
