You would think that in a society like the one in Fahrenheit 451, everyone would be similar. That's not the case for Mildred Montag and Clarisse McClellan. Throughout the book, Mildred and Clarisse show multiple traits of themselves that are very different. They're not similar in almost anything. During Fahrenheit 451, Mildred and Clarisse are completely opposite people and that is shown in the differences in their personality, values, and relationship with Montag. 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. A person’s values can show exactly who someone is. Mildred and Clarisse’s values are a big part of what sets them apart. Clarisse values nature and the world, which she explains while she is talking to Montag on a walk. “I sometimes think drivers don’t know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly … My uncle drove slowly on a highway once. He drove 40 miles an hour and they jailed him for 2 days. Isn’t that funny, and sad, too?” (Bradbury 9). Clarisse shows a great example of her abnormal value of nature. She loves nature while everyone in her society doesn't care all that much. Contrary to Clarisse's values, Mildred values her parlor "family". Mildred talks about her love of
In the first section of fahrenheit 451 the two character that stuck out to me was Guy montag and Clarrisse McCellan. They are both outsiders in the novel.The both see the world differently and see the world differently. They are different because Clarrisse has always seen the world differently then other people and Guy just recently stated to see the world
At the basis of Fahrenheit 451 is the relationship between Mildred and Montag. The first scene in which they interact, when Montag finds Mildred overdosed, sets the tone for their relationship throughout the book. They are distant, never having full conversations, so apart that neither of them could remember where they first met (40). Mildred is absorbed in her “other family”, the TV walls and barely notices Montag’s breakdown until he shows her his books. Besides burning books, Mildred indifference and distance were one of the main causes of Montag’s disintegration. Perhaps if Mildred had been more attentive to Montag, he may not have spiralled so quickly and dramatically. However Mildred’s disconnectedness may have also been caused by Montag’s
Unlike most people in Fahrenheit 451, she inquires a lot about the surrounding environment. She is seen as “antisocial” because she doesn’t mix with the “society”. It turns out that the meaning of “social” in Fahrenheit 451 is being the same as others. Clarisse gave Montag a spark of interest in the outside world, thus making him start to read books. Unfortunately, Clarisse gets run over by a car and dies. Later, Beatty says, ”You ask Why to a lot of things and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl’s better off dead,” This shows that Clarisse was not supposed to be there at all. From existence of Clarisse, Bradbury gives us a comparison of the world with no interest and the so-called “normal”
Mildred is the wife of Montag. She has many different interests than Montag does which makes them foil characters. There is nothing very spectacular about Mildred. She is very bland and is obsessed with television. She believs that her family is the television shows. Montag on the other hand is appreciates books. Mildred says to Montag, “See what you are doing to us? You’ll ruin us!” (76). This quote shows that Mildred does not appreciate what Montag wants. She does not respect his interests and does not want to be married to someone who is doing illegal acts. Montag sees the books as a good thing and as an innspiration. Mildred sees them as
In the quote Clarisse id explain to Montag how her family says society used to be. This gives significance because it can demonstrate her family values that are looked down upon by society causing her to be separated from society. The McClellan’s are social with each other, “my mother and father and uncle sitting around, talking."(Bradbury 9). The quote shows that Clarisse’s family values sitting around and communicating with each other which is obscure to their society. The current society in Fahrenheit 451 doesn’t practice being social with each other instead they are distant with little communication making them think Clarisse’s family has abnormal
Clarisse opens Montag's eyes to the world around him, and kickstarts his curiosity. Before granger, before Faber, even before Clarisse, Montag thought nothing much of his life at all. He went through the motions and never strayed from what society wanted. Then, suddenly, Clarisse walked into his life, quite literary. "'It's fine work. Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner, burn 'me to ashes, then burn the ashes. That's our official slogan'"(8) Montag believes whole-heatedly that his work is "fine work" believes there is nothing wrong with relentlessly burning books, but Clarisse subtly seems to disagree, "Do you ever read any of the books you burn?"'(8) it can be assumed Montag hasn't ever read the book, assumed that his small
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
Examining Clarisse, she owns components that the whole association in the book completely lacks. Her aspects not present within the other characters in the book makes her seem lifeless. As for Mildred and Montag’s relationship, Mildred’s lack of communication and ignorance announces that she is also metaphorically dead. As they both depart from Montag recalls each of them. What Montag said about Clarisse makes it seems that as if her way of living characteristics are unique and are not present in others, which proves that she is nonexistent. Montag also has a moment of recalling his wife as someone who never existed between their marriage relationship. This all ties back that Clarisse and Mildred are physically active and alive, but in that moment of their natural existence, they are deep down nonexistent in terms of society and
Of the characters of Fahrenheit 451 Clarisse Mcclellan and Mildred Montag stand out most prominently because of their pronounced contrast. On one hand Mildred Montag is the obedient citizen who would rather watch
Usually people want to be leaders but often just become followers of what other people do. This did not happen in Fahrenheit 451, in fact it was the exact opposite. People just naturally were followers without questioning who they were following. Mildred was a perfect example of someone who just followed the lifestyle the
In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury displays the struggles of one’s inner thoughts between the governments laws even though they are not reasonable. Montag and Mildred are a husband and wife to each other. The beginning of their relationship had many positives however, Bradbury depicts the drastic decline of their love for each other. One’s value of commitment to someone or something can never be understated. Fahrenheit 451 shows Mildred and Montags loyalty to the government, their weak devotion to each other, and their effort in life.
In Ray Bradbury’s famous novel, Fahrenheit 451, the relationship between Guy Montag and Clarisse McClellan is one of the most important and interesting. These two characters are so different, yet so similar. As a result of these differences, the characters are able to develop more independently through understanding one another. Clarisse has permanently influenced Montag’s life by demonstrating a part of it that he had forgotten about. While Clarisse is able to see the life in the point of view of another, and watch that change before her eyes. Montag and Clarisse have similarities, as well as differences in their outlook on life, emotions and lifestyles.
This shows that nobody in Clarisse's world is unique or different from each other and that everyone acts identical, whereas everyone is unique and different in our society. According to Bradbury, Montag asks, “When did we meet? And where?” (Bradbury, 40) He asks this to his wife, Mildred, but neither knew when nor where they met. Knowing full well that they are husband and wife, this is quite concerning. This is because in our world, forgetting where someone met their partner is absurd and unimaginable. Nobody ever forgets when or where they met their spouse because this event is a sacred and unforgettable moment for a couple. Since Montag and Mildred forgot how they met, they have no mutual love or respect for each other, and they did not really care about each other. Those are some differences, but when it comes to behavior, that is where the differences end between the two societies. In Fahrenheit 451, the people regularly watch the TV screens all day, so much so that they are calling the parlors their family. At one part, Mildred says, ”That’s my family.” She said this after Montag asked her to turn down the volume because he was sick (Bradbury, 46). Our society has not called our electronics family, but we treat our electronics like family
To first discover what makes these novels similar, they must first be analyzed to see their plot. Fahrenheit 451 is the story of a fireman named Guy Montag. Montag is no ordinary civilian, he is a fireman, the law enforcement that burns down house and arrests people if they have been proven to be hiding books. The story goes that Montag has a wife who has very little purpose in life. Her only desire is to be with her “family”, the actors on television who make programs where the viewer feels they are involved in the show. Eventually, Montag meets a young girl named Clarisse who talks with him when they walk together on the sidewalk, says to him “You’re not like the others” (Page 21), and who has been deemed by society as “peculiar” as she expresses herself in many artful ways. Montag talks with Clarisse until, one day, Clarisse is hit by a car,
“Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings” -Henrich Hein. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Mildred, Montag’s wife, and Clarisse McClellan are two very opposing characters. Clarisse thinks and acts “outside of the box” Where as Mildred rather stays in the box; she goes with the flow of their society. Although Clarisse McClellan and Mildred are very different, they both are very significant in Montag’s life; they have positive and negative affects on him.