Why Is Fahrenheit 451 Truly Happy

“If someone tells you what a story is about, they are probably right. If they tell you that is all the story is about, they are very definitely wrong.” (Neil Gaiman). This quote connects to how stories, are not just based off of one topic, but are based off of several topics that can all relate to the central idea or message. Similarly, it represents how others’ perspectives on what the meaning of a true story is can be different from others. In this case, Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel written by author Ray Bradbury, in which the protagonist and firemen, Guy Montag is required to burn and destroy books in the homes of citizens. Montag does not usually question why he does this, until he meets a fellow young

How does life make you feel...Are you depressed? Are you lonely? Are you happy? Are you stressed. Are you okay? Are you giving up? Are you living a life that you don’t love or are you proud about who you are? Montag thinks that he is happy, but he doesn't find out that he really isn't until Clarisse truly shows him. Honestly, he is just living a life that doesn’t show him what life is really all about. He is missing out on so many moments because he isn’t allowed to read or feel emotion. Ray Bradbury wants us to know that sometimes there is no such thing as a Utopia...in the world, or in society where we live. Everyone has hard times, but what if they just don’t stop, what if they continue until the day you die?

There is a difference between Mildred and Clarisse when they interact with Montag. When Montag and his wife have a conversation, it usually ends with Mildred being disinterested with what he is saying. It even makes Montag think “Well, wasn’t there a wall between him and Mildred, when you came down to it? Literally not just one wall but, so far three! And expensive, too! And the uncles, the aunts, the cousins, the nieces, the nephews…” (44). There seems to be no real connection between Montag and Mildred because she is busy watching the parlor walls. Whenever he tries to make an effort to talk to her, she seems to want to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Clarisse and Montag’s conversation flows and continues. Ever since they met, the talks that they have had with each other always keeps them both intrigued. When Montag and Clarisse were discussing what he does for a living she could sense that something was wrong and just before

In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses the character Mildred to convey how many people in society are discontent, even though they may seem happy. Throughout the novel Bradbury creates many characters that seem satisfied with their life of work and electronics, but Mildred in particular suggests that even one radiating happiness can still be broken and depressed inside.

From the beginning of our lives, our parents, for the most part, want us to be happy. Pursuing that happiness becomes a goal that we strive for on an everyday basis. In America, it’s the American Dream. People come to this country in search of that elusive happiness. Ever since Thomas Jefferson wrote a very important sentence in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson), our goals have been the same; searching for that happiness no matter what. However, as Ray Bradbury writes, if we focus too much on those aspects that make us

In Ray Bradbury’s novel,Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist, Guy Montag, learns that happiness comes from within from Mildred Montag, Clarisse McCellan, and Clarisse’s uncle. First, Clarisse made Montag question his happiness when asking, “‘ Are you happy?’”(Bradbury 7). Secondly, Mildred showed Montag she was not happy when she overdosed when Bradbury writes,”Her face was like a snow covered island...and her caring whether it came or went, went or came” (Bradbury 11). Lastly, Montag viewed an example of happiness when seeing Clarisse’s uncle, while watching him through their window, when bradbury writes,”...and the uncle who smiled so quietly and so earnestly”(Bradbury 14). In conclusion, Guy Montag is shown that true happiness comes from within

Happiness, to a certain extent goes with internal human experience. To be happy is to feel well, either through “good” experiences or a “good” lifestyle. The authorities in Fahrenheit 451, incorporated this definition of happiness into the lifestyle of the society. They provided civilians with, “fun parks to bully people around, break windowpanes in the Window Smasher place or wreck cars in the Car Wrecker place… go out in cars and race on the streets, trying to see how close you can get to lampposts” according to Clarisse (Bradbury, 27). The authorities provided activities that evoked exhilaration and appealed to darker instincts within the civilians giving them a sense of satisfaction, when in reality it is the opposite. Mildred embodies

Her only attachment is to the “family” in the soap opera. At Mildred’s house, there are three walls with TVs in the parlor, but Mildred even wants another one. When Montag asks her to turn the TV off, she said, they are her family. There is also a scene when Beatty is trying to burn the house with book in it, an old lady is still in there, and she would not leave the house. Eventually, she burns herself.

Fahrenheit 451 begins by introducing Guy Montag, a fireman who starts fires rather than putting them out, in a grim futuristic United States. The author describes Montag, along with the other fireman, as having, “…black hair, black brows, a fiery face, and a blue-steel shaved but unshaved look (page 30).” The book opens by describing the pleasure experiences doing his job as a fireman one evening. The first sentence being, “It was a pleasure to burn (page 1).” After his day at work he strolls home and happens across a young girl, around sixteen, named Clarisse McClellan. This young girl proves to the fireman to be unique, she is a deep thinker and rises above society. “She didn’t want to know how a thing was done, but why (page 57).” After talking with Clarisse Montage arrives home, finding is wife in bed and an empty bottle of pills on the ground. He takes her to the hospital were he watches strangers help is wife, Mildred. Here he begins to ponder saying, “There are billions of us and that’s too many. Nobody knows anyone (page 14).” Meaning that everyone lives for themselves and not for others, no one cares to make friends or understand another person. They live to be happy.

One of the themes he criticizes is illusion of happiness. An example of this is on page 4, where it says “... the fiery still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away, that smile, it never ever went away, as long

Most people want to be happy. Happiness is what most consider to be the ultimate fulfillment in life. But what is happiness without knowing what sadness is? Can you truly be happy and appreciate life when all you know is good things? In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, everyone seems to be what they think is happy. Clarisse makes Montag question himself if he really is happy. She tells him that you can't feel happiness without beforehand knowing what unhappiness is. Mildred shows that people are empty inside in this society because they don't know real emotions and what it's like to feel them. Faber, Montag, and Clarisse represent how knowledge makes people more “real” and happy with life because it helps them realize what's important in life.

In the book Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury compares the character Clarisse to books showing that books fill the empty gap in life with happiness and shows that books represent quality of life and bring happiness through freedom of knowledge. Ray Bradbury claims that books bring happiness because he compares books to the character Clarisse. In the book, Montag expresses, What incredible power of identification the girl had; she was like the eager watcher of a marionette show, anticipating each flicker of an eyelid, each gesture of his hand, each flick of a finger, the moment before it began. How long had they walked together? Three minutes?

In conclusion, Montag and Mildred is very different in not only one way it is way more than just one

In Bradbury’s novel, people are not happy, though they think they are. We already know that a predominant factor in this is the little interaction between each other we see. Bradbury could be defining happiness as knowledge. Montag mentions that something is missing; that something is preventing everyone from really being happy. The only thing that is missing in this futuristic society is books, and books lead to knowledge. Intelligence leads to people thinking for themselves and finding what makes them happy. This is not something the government in this place would want. Having knowledge allows everyone to see how important sharing thoughts and opinions are. This lack of learning impedes the citizens from using their imaginations and being

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.