Clarisse's Influence on Montag in “Fahrenheit 451” Essay Example

The Russian-born American writer and philosopher, Ayn Rand once verbalized, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” This empowering quote represents the idea of sticking with what you believe in wholeheartedly and not living in fear of the consequences until they reach you. This idea begins to become stressed as Montag develops as a character. In this atypical book, it focuses on Guy Montag, a firefighter who lives in a futuristic society where instead of the classic firemen role, his job is the exact opposite. He meets his new neighbor, who is quite unique and even though they are quite different from one another, their conversations start to grow into an unlikely friendship. Due to his newly developed radical thinking and ideas, Montag eventually has to deal with the consequences of these since they don’t fit into society. He escapes from town with the help of Faber and people he meets throughout his escape from town. Throughout the first portion of the novel, one character in particular directly activates a new way of thinking for Montag and leaves him slightly bewildered. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Clarisse has the greatest impact on Montag and is the most influential because she sparks Montag’s path of questioning the way of life, which leads to the development of Montag. 

Even though Montag is human, Clarisse’s company seems to expose Montag’s hidden humanness and his hidden emotions. At one point in the story, Montag was talking to Beatty, his boss, about an interaction he had with the Hound. He starts learning more about the Hound and asking questions. The more he learns, the more it prompts some emotions from Montag as well as the first sorrows towards the Hound, “because all [they] put into it is hunting and finding and killing. What a shame if that’s all it can never know”  (Bradbury 25). In regards to the Hound, Montag feels sorry for it since it has no freedom, no life, and will to live. It is instructed and at its master’s call as always, like a chained prisoner. Even though he doesn’t particularly like the Hound nor does the Hound like him, his encounters with Clarisse help him find his humanness, empathy as well as the freedom to express his emotions and feelings, and this is the perfect example. A bit earlier on in the story when Clarisse and Montag first meet, we can see the early effect she has on his ability to now newly express his emotions. Montag and Clarisse decided to walk a bit to get to know one another. Once they got to Clarisse's house he felt very out of place even just peering in. There were tons of lights on, people laughing and talking, and most of all, no parlor, something his wife loved dearly and was practically addicted to. Guy is overwhelmed and confused by her family’s way of life. To add more to his confusion before Clarisse leaves she asks him “are you happy?” but before he can answer, she is gone. Once he gets home he starts spinning out, pacing, and rapidly contemplating his happiness out loud saying, “Of course I’m happy. What does she think? I’m not? He asked about the quiet rooms'' (8). Montag acts outraged by the question but when looking further under the surface his true emotions are shown. He is angry, scared, nervous, and more. He then starts questioning his feelings and does this by blatantly expressing his emotions in the process. This is the first snippet that shows the effect that Clarisse already has on Montag’s emotions. 

Montag acts irrationally due to the new and foreign thoughts Clarisse has left him and with no one to confide in at first. Montag isn’t used to not trusting the government, his wife, a firman’s purpose, and his beliefs. During a time of irrational thinking, Montag decides to keep a book from a house that he sent on fire. He is about to get in bed and hide the book when his wife wakes up and asks him to turn the light on and come to bed. He does not want his wife to see his book because she will most definitely not understand. So instead of being honest, “he [stumbles] toward the bed and [shoves] the book clumsily under the cold pillow” (39). Since Montag has no one to confide in based on the questioning of his original beliefs, he starts to do things irrationally with no plan such as the action he takes in the quote above. This moment in the story shows him starting to question his way of life and partially a change of beliefs. This most likely would not have been possible without Clarisse. He would still be the same old firemen enjoying the smell of the fire and watching it overtake all. But now, we see parts of Clarisse starting to sprout in Montag, which is a hint based on what to expect from Montag soon. Although Montag is now confident in his new adopted morals, he is still doing irrational and even illegal things. He seeks out an old man Faber, who turns into one of his closest friends throughout the novel, for help. He wants to make his plans by reading books and why books hold such large importance is revealed to all. Faber always knew Montag as a fireman and didn't take him seriously. He wants to know why. To which Montag says it's because “The only thing I positively knew was gone was the books I’d burned ten or twelve years [ago]. So I  thought books might help” (78). Without Clarisse to confide in, he turns to Faber. Before he was doing lots of crazy and irrational thinking on his own. For the first time, Montag is confiding in someone about wanting the expansion of books as well as putting his thoughts of the questioning of his morals into action. Although what they are doing is illegal, Faber helps create more level-minded plans that he and Montag can tackle together to change their society. 

Clarisse shows Montag how to appreciate the little things in life as well as a gain appreciation for things like relationships instead of the mindless and corrupt entertainment that the world they live in forces upon them. As Montag is walking with his new neighbor, Clarisse, he begins to realize she is very talkative. Throughout her rambles, he sees that she knows a lot of fun facts or things that he never knew. She tells him how the grass typically has dew on it in the morning but he seems to be unable to remember if this information is a known fact to him. She then informs him that there is a man on the moon which was something he wasn’t able to recall since “He hadn’t looked for a long time (7). Once this moment passed they began to walk again. It clearly shows how Clarisse helps Montag see the little things in life like how there was a man on the moon. It also shows how he would have never taken the time to look up because Montag is robotic in comparison to Clarisse. Always focusing on life and what’s in front of him. He never took the opportunity to look around at what was in front of him, or even, look up. This is all due to the sudden effect that Clarisse has on him. Although Montag begins to notice and cherish the smaller things in life, he also begins to notice and appreciate an uncommon friendship. Montag has recently found out that Clarisse has passed away. He walks back and forth while reading (something he should not be doing in the first place since it is illegal). Mildred’s parlor is currently off and she has nothing to do. So, she starts trying to make conversation with her husband. She starts asking about Clarisse but Montag doesn’t want to talk. He then changes his mind when Mildred begins to talk about the word “myself”. Montag makes the connection while still mourning Clarisse and realizes “Clarisse’s favorite subject wasn’t herself. It was everyone else, and me. She was the first person in a good many years I’ve really liked. She was the first person I can remember who looked straight at me as if I counted” (68). While still mourning Clarisse, he makes this gratifying statement. It shows his previously unknown appreciation for human connections and relationships. It also shows how Montag begins to value the little human relationship he has over mindless entertainment as his wife does due to Clarisse’s influence. Lastly, it shows how Clarrise is one of the very small pieces of his life and he realizes that he will not forget her, he will cherish her, just like how she taught him to find joy and cherish all the little things. 

Montag was naive and stereotypical, but, because he had many encounters with his outcast like neighbor Clarisse, she was able to show Montag his life from a different perspective and ultimately affected him the most. Even though Clarisse didn’t have a long life in the story, she most definitely had a lasting effect on Montag. We can see that she started to change the way he viewed life even while she was there with him but, we also see Montag continuing his views that Clarisse has sparked without her there. This shows that Clarisse was the most influential person because she even had an impact on him when she passed away. Through Montag’s naiveness at the beginning of the story, we can learn that it is always important to question your morals, your way of life, and your society. But, through his overall development towards the end, we can also learn that fighting for what you believe in is one of the most important things in life.