Do you ever find yourself breaking the rules a higher authority has set just to find your identity or explore new things? For instance, in Brave New World, published in England in 1932, by Aldous Huxley, John the Savage is free from conformity and lives his own life, but still tries to fit into society or the World State. Similarly, in Fahrenheit 451, published in Los Angeles, California in 1953, by Ray Bradbury, Guy Montag desperately tries to break free from society and find his true identity. Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 both express the interest in relationship between books, life and community. People are often controlled by their superiors, which results in people thinking they are better than one another, causing rebellion. Indeed, …show more content…
Clarisse McClellan loves life, nature and learning about the earth. In addition, Clarisse opens up a whole new world to Guy Montag by revealing to him the absence of love and contentment in his life. One day, sadly, Guy Montag finds out that Clarisse had been hit by a car, but the novel never clearly states that she has been hit by a car; it is assumed. Furthermore, Clarisse’s character is meant to portray the dehumanization of society and and random acts of violence. Clarisse’s character portrays this because she is seen in society as “weird.” Clarisse is even sent to a psychiatrist because of the way she thinks. In fact, she is free spirited and the opposite of how society has been taught to think and feel. Moreover, Beatty says that Clarisse was a “time bomb,” and authorities were scared that she was going to explode with thoughts and information. This is exactly what the government does not want in this society, because they want everyone to be controlled and the same. Clarisse did not fit into society, which is why the government might have killed her, but readers do not know. Even though the authority punished reading, art, music and history, that did not stop Clarisse or Guy Montag. Sometimes, a person needs to go against the rules to
(Bradbury 24). Clarisse refused to believe what society told her she was; instead, she stood up for her beliefs insisting that she was actually extremely social. By standing up for her beliefs Clarisse inspired Montag to do the same when he had t decide whether to pursue his interest in books or not. Next, the book lady shows Montag to stand up for his beliefs when the firemen came to burn her house. The book lady, “reached out…
Creating Change in Society Adam Braun, an American entrepreneur, said that “For any movement to gain momentum, it must start with a small action.” In the beginning of the novel, Clarisse McClellan, a seventeen year old girl, has recently moved next to Guy Montag, the novel’s protagonist. He first meets her on his way home from his job as a fireman, and Clarisse asks questions about the world, which is unusual in their society, because it 's uncommon to see someone questioning it. She influences Montag to start thinking differently, and he realizes that his life is empty. He turns to books, which are banned in his society.
[Montag] about things like this… But I don't think it’s social to get a bunch of people together and then not let them talk’ ’’ (27). Clearly, Clarisse is an outsider from the rest of her classmates, but to call Clarisse antisocial is absurd. At school, Clarisse did not learn much because instead of there being teachers who taught in front of the class, class was run by televisions that launched videos and movies daily. This is a haunting fact and a daunting realization that in only a few decades, young lives may be
‘Are you [Guy Montag] happy?’”(Bradbury 10). This chipper personality directly contradicts that of Mildred Montag, the wife of Guy. She is a cold, miserable prototype of her shifting society. Her name means, one with gentle strength. Just by looking at the meaning of both female’s names, a clear contrast and favoritism in Clarisse is already found.
(Bradbury, P. 9) Clarisse’s family is different than the normal family; they talk to each other, and let Clarisse be herself. Therefore, Clarisse never lost her childhood ideals. She is still free the think for herself, be kind, and be curious. When Montag meets Clarisse, the two clash in an interesting way.
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a uniquely shocking and provocative novel about a dystopian society set in a future where reading is outlawed, thinking is considered a sin, technology is at its prime, and human interaction is scarce. Through his main protagonist, Guy Montag, Bradbury brings attention to the dangers of a controlled society, and the problems that can arise from censorship. As a fireman, it is Guy's job to destroy books, and start fires rather than put them out. After meeting a series of unusual characters, a spark is ignited in Montag and he develops a desire for knowledge and a want to protect the books. Bradbury's novel teaches its readers how too much censorship and control can lead to further damage and the repetition of history’s mistakes through the use of symbolism, imagery, and motif.
In Ray Bradbury’s book Farenheit 451, it is illegal to own books, and society deems people who “think” and “question” unfit and those people are wanted by the government. In the novel, Bradbury ironically pictures firemen as a group of men who create fires, and the people who “think” and “question” are killed. In this book themes of conformity verses individuality, importance of remembering and understanding history, and freedom of speech and the consequences of losing it. These three thematic ideas are major factors that contributed to how the society’s everyday life is executed.
In the novel, when Clarisse and Montag are talking, this line is shown: “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?’ He laughed. ‘That’s against the law” (5). The laws that the government enforces are strict and prevent any type of reading. The actions of the people are limited by the law and if the people do not follow the law, they are punished.
“you’re not like the others...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… that’s why I think it’s so strange you’re a fireman, it just doesn’t seem right for you, somehow” (Pg 21) Clarisse, 17 years old and crazy really makes Montage question who he is as a person. If it weren’t for her, he might not ever have had the thought to go against the society to do what’s right. This relates to the theme because society is trying to change everyone to be the same but because of Clarisse, Montag realizes questions who he is as a person and learns right vs wrong which helps him to stand up against the bad things that society is doing and do the right thing.
From one of his first experiences with Clarisse, Montag feels something that he realizes he never felt before in his daily life. He ponders to himself, "How rarely did other people's faces take of you and throw back to your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought?" (Bradbury 8). What Montag is pondering about is how she behaved so attentive and natural towards
Clarisse is talking to Montag as they walk down the street. This quote is significant because it shows the point where Montag is turned by Clarisse. He begins to doubt what the government and his friends are telling him. It might not seem like much at the time, but later in the book Montag begins to read books. ii)””A natural error.
The word illicit sums up the confusion and weakness of the main character, Montag, a follower of the dystopian society, but introduced to a new way of thinking, but he is incapable of handling the contrast of reality and what life is really about. The oppression of dystopian society reveals when he is unsettled about his life due to several instances which make him begin to think beyond his ability and act irrationally rebelling to in an attempt to make changes in society. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury illicits a rebellion through the characterization of Guy Montag as he questions the direction of society in order to suggest the audience does the same thing. Unsettled in his life, the protagonist, Guy Montag is forced to question the status quo of his 2025 society which make him begin to think beyond his ability and act irrationally rebelling to in an attempt to make changes.
Montag’s search for answers end up leading him to read books. Evidence that Clarisse inspires Montag to read is seen in the quote, “These men have been dead a long time but I know some way or the other their words point to Clarisse.” (68) This quote proves even though Clarisse disappears her knowledge is so important to Montag
Clarisse McClellan symbolizes everything the government and society disapproves of by questioning the rules and logic of their world, enjoying nature, and not going along with what society deems socially acceptable. Clarisse McClellan questions things she experiences which make her a threat to the so called perfect world they live in. In a conversation with Montag, Clarisse recalls the time that her “....uncle was arrested….for being a pedestrian”(Bradbury 7). Clarisse recognizes that being a pedestrian does not call for being arrested.
Also censoring the importance of knowledge, reading and thinking. It has been like this for many years and Montag has always thought by doing his job he could prevent that. Especially with books, he has always been doing what his job entails, burning books, doing the kind deed for the city. One day while on his way to work, Montag meets his new neighbor a young, free spirited, seventeen year old girl names Clarisse McClellan. She was different than anyone he has ever met in the town.