50% of marriages end in divorce, Montag and Mildred among them. Montag is an ignorant fireman until he meets a young girl named Clarisse who changes him for the better. In Fahrenheit 451, Clarisse McClellan and Mildred are very different in personality and both contribute to Montag change in beliefs, but in different ways; Clarisse for the better and Mildred for the worst. Clarisse is the first person to open Montags eyes to the world. For example, Montag has never really thought about much so Clarisse tells him to “just sit and think” so he can analyze the world (23). Clarisse wants Montag to see the world around him and think about what he is seeing. Also, Clarisse is outside with Montag as it is raining and say, “rain even tastes good”, with her head back drinking (21). This shows that Clarisse is more outgoing and adventurous than Mildred. Montag tells Clarisse that his wife is thirty, but Clarisse seems “much older [than her]” at times (23). Clarisse seems much older than Mildred because of her intelligence by the way she sees the world . …show more content…
For example, Mildred overdose on sleeping pills because she is not happy, but she tries to not show it (13). After Mildred wakes up the next morning she says she has no idea what happened, but I believe she really does. Another reason is, while Montag is sick at home, Mildred keeps turning up the parlor because “thats her family” (49). Mildred cares more about her tv family than her real husband that is sick. Finally, when Montag comes down stairs, he finds Mildred with “both ears plugged” and she barely acknowledges that he is there (18). This shows that Mildred rarely shows that she sees and hears Montag and she usually just drowns his voice out with her
It was revealed that Mildred and her friends are the people that reported Montag to the firemen. Earlier, Montag offended Mildred’s friends by reading a melachony poem that caused emotion. Mildred did not stay loyal to her husband and instead reports him to the government, abiding to society. The main rift in their relationship was that they are on opposite sides of society, Mildred is very devoted while Montag challenges the society standards. Deep down, she knows that if she is instead devoted to her husband then her life would go down the drain. She would lose everything including her ‘family’ and therefore has no hestiation in turning against
When an individual hears the word “death,” they automatically believe it's something horrible, traumatic, unfortunate. However, what people don't consider is how death can also be a life-changing act, for the better. In the book Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury demonstrates how dying can change one's actions. Death isn't always physical; people also they mentally when they come to the moment of realization and are once again, born.
Montag was a dynamic character who changed a lot throughout the story, impacting not only the people around him but the society he lived in as well. This change that shaped the course of the entire novel began when Montag met the strange Clarisse McClennan. She was a vital part of his transition from being a regular fireman who loved to see things burn, to someone who saw the flaws in their society. Clarisse had a huge impact on Montag. She helped him grow as a person by talking to him, asking uncomfortable questions, pointing out the beauty of the nature around them, helping him realize he didn’t love Mildred, and that he wasn’t happy with his life and just being genuinely interested in what he had to say.
Although Clarisse and Mildred are opposite of eachother, they both have one thing in common. This thing being Montag. They both are important to Montag and they both motivate him to to the right thing. However the “right thing” is different between both characters. Clarisse encourages him to think. While Mildred encourages him to follow the rules.
Society can change a person in a negatively or positively. Mildred is the wife of the main character, Guy Montag, in the novel Fahrenhelt 451, by Ray Bradbury. Society has made Mildred self-centered, robotic, and unfeeling.
According to the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Rollo May’s quote “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it’s conformity” is inaccurate because for what these people in the society conformed to, is a coward act on it’s own. To go ahead and follow something you don’t have knowledge on with the stakes so high and then not give others a voice when they bring viewpoints that differ to what you originally conformed to, is known as a cowardly act. Conforming is just a cover up stuck in ignorance and stubbornness, an excuse for cowardice.
Clarisse tells Montag this, and it makes him wonder if anyone really does care. Montag realizes that he lives in a world of conceited people. He realizes that he does not really care about anyone, including his wife Mildred. People in his society don't think about others feelings when acting. From this, Montag learns the meaning of caring. He learns what a terrible place it is to live in, where no one cares about anyone but themselves. This only changes Montag for the better. At one point, Montag and the other firemen go to a house because a lady has books concealed in her home. The lady, not concerned about being burned to death, is determined to stay with her books. Montag is stunned by her decision, and cares very much about her safety. “Montag placed his hand on the woman's elbow. 'You can come with me'” (Bradbury 39) This is a turning point for Montag, in which he starts to care about everyone and their feelings.
Montag’s Wife, Mildred, is a negative influence on him, trying to push him away emotionally and physically. She does not know who she really is and lives in an illusionary world with her obsession of television shows and believing they are real. He is so confused because she tries to ignore it ever happened thinking about all the bad things; “fire, sleeping tablets, men disposable tissue, coattails, blow, wad, flush...Rain. The storm. The uncle laughing...The whole world pouring down..." (19). After this incident he looks at Mildred in a different light and is someone who he can’t relate to. Another way she separates herself from Montag is through her "family", which is a television show. Montag constantly asks Millie “[if that] family loves [her]… love [her] with all their heart and soul" (83). Her world isn’t based in reality; they are clearly on different paths. Hers is one of illusion and his is becoming that of a totally self-aware person. She blocks everything and everyone out that is around her and lives within the show. Mildred opens Montag 's eyes to the real world and shows him that most people are uncaring and narcissistic.
Clarisse tells Montag that sometimes she takes the time to “just sit and think” about life and the world around her (23). Unlike most people, Clarisse choses to think and question certain things in life instead of the average member of their society who choses
“And he remembered thinking that if she died, he was certain he wouldn’t cry” (Bradburry 47). Throughout the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury the crumbling relationship between Mildred and Montag leads to the breakage of their marriage and Montag finding his place in the world. The couple goes through ten years of marriage without love. This unhealthy relationship causes a miserable life for both of them. They live is a damaged society where everyone is under strict control. Books and pedestrians are banned, while killing and hurting are allowed. Mildred goes through life knowing very little about the world surrounding her, she is comfortable with being ignorant. Montag, on the other hand, is on a mission to learn more about his and Mildred’s civilization. He wants to find the root of the problem and repair it. This difference in the two individuals leads to the breaking of their relationship, and the ending of their life as they know it. Mildred’s realization that she doesn’t love Montag, Montag questioning the ways of society, and Montag reading books to Mildred and her friends leads to Mildred giving up on Montag and turning him into the government.
Clarisse is one of the characters who influenced Montag by showing her own world. Clarisse remind Montag the fireman’s real job. Clarisse said ‘”strange. I heard once that a long time ago houses used to burn by accident and they needed firemen to stop the flames”’ (pg 8). Clarisse is the one of character who read a book in conflict read society. She confused Montag on
In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, there is a story of the character Guy Montag who is a fireman in a dystopian society, a society in which people get entertainment from giant TVs they call “Parlor Walls” and houses have been deemed fireproof. Since fireman do not need to run around and eliminate fires, they start them. The job of a fireman in this dystopian society is that they burn books and the places that contain them, all the while being the official censors of the state. But there is something different about Montag, he used to be a proud fireman, he had the look of one: “black hair, black brows... fiery face, and... blue-steel shaved but unsaved look” as it states on page 30, the feel of one: “It was
A difference between Mildred and Clarisse is their polar opposite personalities. Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Mildred is a very selfish, conceited woman. This is shown when she talks about herself to Montag. “He opened the book. ‘That Favorite Subject, Myself’ … ‘I understand that one,’ said Mildred.” (Bradbury 72). Mildred's comment exemplifies her conceited attitude toward herself. She dislikes books yet chooses that one to relate to. In contrast to Mildred, Clarisse is a selfless, caring girl. There’s a lot of examples of Clarisse being selfless, but a big one is when Montag talks about her to Mildred. “But Clarisse’s favorite subject wasn’t herself. It was everyone else, and me … She was the first person I can remember who looked straight at me as if I counted.” (Bradbury 72). Montag explains Clarisse's selfless side very well. He knows from experience that she loved others more than herself. These two contrasting examples prove that Mildred and Clarisse have different personalities. But, personalities aside, they have differing values as well.
Clarisse says, “I tell them that sometimes I just sit and think”(21). Finally, Montag is made aware of this simplicity. When he is trying to find happiness himself, he remembers that Clarisse finds contenment through siting, observing and thinking. Montag begins to notice that his wife is a foil as she had never done either one of those things. Bradbury supports Jameson’s quote of happiness by showing how Mildred is suicidal and has no connection with people and her only connection is with her “Family” in the walls on Television. Montag begins to find himself and starts to realize that he really doesn’t care about Mildred, that she is an empty vessel. Later in the book Montage feels a stronger connection to a girl that he has only spoken to a handful of times versus his own wife whom he is suppose to have a strong connection. When Montage almost died by getting run over he says, “I wonder if they were the ones who killed Clarisse! He wanted to run after them yelling. His eyes watered.” (114). Montag knew Mildred for years yet he realizes that when she leaves him she will never miss him or mourn him; Montag feels closer with Clarisse as marvels at her idea of happiness. Montag starts to develop deeper feelings about thoughtful people like Clarisse. He would cry for this girl he barely knew more than he would for his own wife whom he felt no connection to.
In the movie, Clarisse is a school teacher, who loves every one of her students. But in the book, she is a teenager, who is not at all fond of engaging in the normal activities for students her age. Because Clarisse's transition from book to film was so drastic,Montag's relationship with the women in the story seems to have changed drastically as well. In the book, Montag doesn't feel that much compassion for Mildred as it seems he does for Clarisse, but in the film, it's quite the opposite. Montag has so much more love for Mildred in the movie and doesn't pay as much attention to Clarisse's "milky white skin". In essence, this may be because Francois Truffaut wanted his film to be more socially acceptable. If this is true, because of Clarisse's age, it would make sense for to present her to Montag as an adult instead of a