Montag's Influences in Farenheit 451 Essay

Many people talk about how the world is slowly caving in as people are desensitized emotionally. Opposers suggest that it is technology’s fault for sucking a person’s mind into oblivion twenty four hours a day. However, it is the people themselves who are going to bring about their own destruction. In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the actions of the public perfectly exemplifies a worst-case scenario of the future coming to mayhem. In this world, books not accepted by the law are burned by “firefighters” so that everyone is taught the same information. Nobody strays from the “truth”, and this way, everyone is treated equally. There is no nerd and there is no bully. The public is encouraged to listen to live streams of people talking in headphone devices called seashells. Yet for one man in particular, Guy Montag, he struggled between fitting in with the public or pursuing an “itch” he has always had. These feelings started when he had a short talk with his neighbor, Clarisse McClellan. In school, Clarisse has always been seen as an outcast, yet by Montag, her strange facts of realization intrigued him. She knew curious information that he did not, and this made him angry. It was not until she mysteriously disappeared that he really started to understand the depth to her words. She knew more about life, and he was determined to find the same information in the forbidden books. Ironically, Montag was a firefighter, but he

Montag grew closer to Clarisse each time they talked, and he enjoyed that. So this shows that Montag, when he talks to Clarisse, gets to be himself and become independent and has to think for himself instead of everyone else thinking for him.

He is curious and fearless in his quest for knowledge. Otherwise, Montag would have never taken such a big risk in order to find out if poems stir up something inside of a neighbor. Montag is one of the few people in society that presents any sort of human emotion. Shocked was the only way to describe him after hearing of Clarisse’s death, whereas Mildred refused to talk about dead people. Gazing at the woman who burned himself, Montag was horrified whereas the other fireman continued merrily. An ability to think for himself was also prevalent in his personality. Considering the amount of influence the media plays on F.451’s society, Montag could have just as easily been wrapped up in the mob mentality of the evil in literature. Instead, he followed his heart, which constantly told him what he was doing was wrong. It allowed him to understand the wrong in burning books, ultimately aiding him to escape.

Clarisse affected Montag by showing him how to be curious and adventurous and teaching Montag to try new things. Montag being a fireman doesn't know what he is doing for his society, by him burning books everyone's knowledge goes down. Clarisse is not for society, she is more free minded then Montag "'I rarely watch the 'parlor walls' or go to races or Fun Parks. So I've lots of time for crazy thoughts, I guess.'"(9). She is against watching the parlor and doing stuff society wants you to do. Montag will be affected by this and learn from this, he will later be against watching the parlor. Clarisse's attitude to life is good too, it seems like she is the light in a dark room. She also always has something interesting to say this makes Montag want to be around her "'Let me come in. I won't say anything. I just want to listen. What is it you're saying?'" (17)Montag wants hear what she has to say for there is always something interesting to be heard when she is talking.

Clarisse is a curious girl about her environment, how the earth has evolved, and the past. She rubs off on Montag, which could lead to a dramatic change in his life.

As deliberations whirl through his mind, Montag finally feels a sickness and discomfort. “How rarely did other people’s faces take of you and throw back to you your own expression, your innermost trembling thought?” (8). This illustrates that Clarisse brought a rumination out of Montag. Montag no longer is at ease with his line of work. This event represents the call to adventure for Montag as Clarisse made him ponder for the first time in a long time. The scene following portrays the crossing of the threshold into a new world for Montag.

Clarisse begins walking with Montag every day and he grows very fond of her insight and childlike playfulness. Clarisse reminds him of his childhood and renews his interest in life--the interest that he didn't realize he had lost. With Clarisse's comforting conversations, Montag realizes that "he wore his happiness like a mask" (26), and that he wasn't truly content with his life, as he had always believed. The first step of change is to acknowledge that something is wrong. Once Montag discovers that he is unhappy with his life, he gains the respect of the reader by taking a step towards changing his

Before meeting Clarisse, Montag was a strong adherent of the societal function of book burning. He was rather oblivious to the ignorant and critically dull society he lived in. His meeting with Clarisse was the beginning of his Metamorphosis into a critically aware and enlightened individual, one who could see the errors of society in forming a bubble around them. This “bubble” forming that Clarisse leads Montag away from is a serious issue, and even affects our real modern day world.

Clarisse helps Montag look around him and see everything, from the smallest snowflake to the biggest tree. Montag never really thinks about what is happening in his life, or why it seems he never shows much emotion towards anything. Clarisse teaches Montag to look around and to pay attention to what is really important in life, just not what his society tells him. Even though I believe Clarisse was the reason for Montag’s major metamorphosis, I believe that there were two additional individuals that had a role to play in Montag’s expedition to find answers to fill the void in his life.

Although Montag now knows the truth behind books, what they stand for, and why they’re hated so much Montag needed guidance he needed an objective it was until after meeting Granger he finds a new meaning. Before meeting Granger, Montag and Faber devised a plan to setup the firemen by placing books in each one of their homes. This plan went terribly bad when Montag’s last call as a firefighter was to his own house it was then and there Montag became an exile of the law. Montag forced to leave the life he once knew behind managed to escape and group up with an

Clarisse affected Montag's path leading to the future. Clarisse, Montag's foil, influenced Montag to start questioning his job. When she is talking to him, she mentions “never stopping to think what [I’ve] asked [you]” (Bradbury 8). Clarisse was a source of realization to Montag, up until she died. She also made Montag want to read books

When Montag first met Clarisse he could tell that she was different from other people he has met before. Clarisse was very free spirited and “her face [was] bright as snow in the moonlight”(pg. 4). She was a very innocent girl who saw the world from a different perspective than Montag. Instead of living in a world full of negativity, Clarisse aimed to explore beyond reality. She talked to Montag about a world where “they needed firemen to stop the flames,” and explained how the world was very peaceful (pg. 6). Also, Clarisse saw the true man hiding beneath the uniform. Although, her ideas may not have fell in line with the rest of society, Clarisse still remained optimistic about what the world was like before this time period. In

As the conversation carries on between Clarisse and Montag, she begins to notice that Montag is different. She claims “You 're not like the others. I 've seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon, last night. The others would never do that. The others would walk off and leave me talking. Or threaten me. No one has time anymore for anyone else. You 're one of the few who put up with me...He felt his body divide itself into a hotness and a coldness, a softness and a hardness, a trembling and a not trembling, the two halves grinding one upon the other” (Bradbury 11). Clarisse points out the unique qualities to Montag because whenever they talk, Montag reacts by looking at her or objects that she is talking about. She reveals that the average people cannot comprehend the concept of socializing or reflect on thoughts thus they relapse to a state of violence as a resort to stop thinking. Clarisse doesn’t persuade Montag to think like her, but influence Montag to think outside the box and increase his curiosity. Clarisse’s character going against the common social conformity activates a rare phenomenon inside Montag’s mind. Montag was given two paths, hence the cold and hot or soft and hard. One Path guides Montag down the path of individuality and the other path leads him to the normal society life. Clarisse was an individual who opens the doors to Montag to let him

Clarisse played a significant role in Montag's life. Clarisse is a seventeen year old teenager who is a little bit different than everyone else. She enjoys when it rains and like to play in the leaves. She loves to be outside and in the wilderness. she does not like to be inside and watching tv or playing video games. She likes to be around odd things which is how she met Montag. Montag and Clarisse became really good friends. She lives next door to Montag and like to go listen to him talk and likes to ask him questions about his job and how it feels to be a fireman. But eventually Clarisse asks too many questions and it pushes Montag over the edge. Clarisse never told Montag what to think but shows him that thinking is an option. Later on

Clarisse, the young women, impacts Montag’s life and changes his perspective on the world. When Montag first met Clarisse, he noticed she did not behave like the other citizens. Clarisse does not obsess over technology. Instead, Clarisse liked to enjoy the outside world and pay attention to it. As Montag and Clarisse interact and become friends, Clarisse says something to Montag that shocks him. For the first time Montag contemplates his life and job. While in this state of shock, Clarisse tells Montag that she finds him unique because he does not ignore her. Instead he listens and comprehends what she says, "...You're one of the few who put up with me. That's why I think it's so strange you're a fireman, it just doesn't seem right for you, somehow."(23-24). After Clarisse says this, Montag decides to do something Clarisse suggested. He stopped to feel the rain drip on his tongue, something he has never done before. Clarisse impacted Montag's life in a way that made him realize and appreciate the world around him. Until Montag met Clarisse, he never thought of the world as something to take care of and appreciate. Clarisse shaped Montag into the person he became. Other