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Analysis of Ray Bradbury´s Farenheit 451

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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. The first sentence of the book reads “IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BURN” (1). This sentence highlights the state Montag is in, and in doing so it also reveals the disposition of society in relation to our current time. Montag is painted as a vicious creature, one that uses a “great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world”, while having a synthetic smile engraved onto his face(1). His smile is a symbol of his society’s mindless pursuit of synthetic happiness. The simile also serves the reader as a gauge of Montag’s character development. The same thing can also be said of the first sentence in this novel. Thus, when Clarisse asks the question “Are you happy” Montag’s Smile melts and, in essence, this serves as the start of Montag’s evolution. (4). Montag’s first encounter with Clarisse is described with a heavy amount of imaginary, particularly nature related imaginary. Ray Bradbury says “The autumn leaves blew over the moonlit pavement... letting the motion of the wind and the leaves

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