Fahrenheit 451 Death Analysis
Author of the popular book series A Song of Ice and Fire once said, “I try to make readers feel they’ve lived the events of the book. Just as you grieve if a friend is killed, you should grieve if a fictional character is killed. You should care. If somebody dies and you just got more popcorn, it’s a superficial experience isn’t it.” When a character dies in a story there is a sort of shock the reader receives when that death actually happens. Although Clarisse died very early in the book, most people would have some sort of reaction towards her death whether it be sadness or confusion or both Bradbury gets a response from the reader. Clarisse’s untimely death on page 29 not only affected Bradbury’s readers it also affected the characters of
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his novel Fahrenheit 451 especially the main character, Guy Montag. Someone may ask, “What reason would Bradbury have to kill Clarisse. What is the purpose in killing off this unique character? The death of Clarisse was not simply just so that Ray Bradbury could get rid of her, but to instead get Montag on a path of self realization. Some people might have view her death as being just sad but in reality there is some foreshadowing and symbolism in her death. Clarisse’s death was suppose to make you feel something.
Bradbury’s extremely forced death upon Clarisse would make some people believe that Bradbury simply wanted to get rid of her as fast as he could.
The author of the story’s real intentions for killing Clarisse was to make an impact on Montag that would change his path in life. Montag, as we know from the beginning, didn’t really follow the rules. “But Montag did not move and only stood thinking of the ventilator grill in the hall at home and what lay hidden behind the grill. If someone here in the firehouse knew about the ventilator then mightn’t they ‘tell’ the Hound…?(Bradbury 24)”. As we know, in this society reading books is illegal and the Hounds job is to kill people/ put people under anesthesia. There is nothing that Montag could have have that would make the Hound in the firehouse want to attack him, especially if some other fireman knows that he is hiding books. Although Montag had all these books he didn’t really do anything with them he never really read them and he conformed to the society he was living in. After Clarisse came into Montag’s life, Montag wanted to have more engaging and thought provoking conversations. Clarisse also taught Montag about the past and about how firemen used to stop fires instead of creating them. All this information Montag gets from Clarisse gets him hooked and he wants even more of that knowledge and insight that his new friend Clarisse will be able to give to him. Clarisse is a beacon of hope for Montag, when she comes into his neighborhood he appreciates how different she is and they become friends in a matter of days. When a friend dies, your reaction towards that should be shocked and then you might get angry or depressed. When Clarisse dies this is anger and confusion plagues Montag and it starts to make him question his own life and the rules of society just like Clarisse would have questioned the rules of society if she were still alive. When Mildred finally tells Montag that Clarisse died he gets angry over the
fact that she died about four days ago and no one had told him and then that anger somehow goes from outraged to trying to fully grasp what happened. ¨ ‘Four days ago,’ he said, quietly, lying there(45).¨ This shows that while Clarisse was alive, she and Montag established a fast friendship. Montag feels like he found someone that isn’t generic like all the rest and he lost her just as fast he became friends with her, he probably could not believe that he could have possibly made a friend like her. Montag was probably confused with her death, she had died four days ago and he did not notice at all, she was suppose to be his friend and she was suppose to be different from everyone else. Montag probably learns in this moment how disconnected he is from the world and the negative outcome that happens when you disconnect from each other. Another impact Clarisse’s death made on Montag is that when she died he figured out how much control his government has over everyone. When Captain Beatty(captain of the firemen, he has a high authority ranking) arrives at Montag and Millie’s home he talks about taking kids out of school at a younger so that the government can basically brainwash the children at a younger age. He talks about how the government had been keeping tabs on the Mckellen family (Clarisse’s family) because of how different they are and because they don’t fit into how they imagined society to be. When Montag tries to discuss Clarisse’s death, Captain Beatty says, “[...]You ask a lot of questions and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl’s better off dead(58)”. He puts out this underlying idea that maybe the government planned Clarisse’s death. This makes Montag start to think maybe Beatty his boss and the government can not be trusted. He is thinking how can they be so heartless about the death of this teenage girl. He is thinking Clarisse was harmless yet they still killed her just because she wasn’t like every other citizen that they had managed to brainwash so they wouldn’t have minds of their own. These events in the first chapter are what ultimately led to Montag trying to overthrow his government at the end of the book.
Clarisse’s presence is felt throughout the book after she is dead multiple times both directly and indirectly. A direct way Clarisse is mentioned is when Montag is on the run and he sees a bunch of teenager in the car. In the very beginning of the book when Clarisse is telling Montag why she doesn’t have friend after Montag tells her she sounds old Clarisse says, “Sometimes I’m ancient. I’m afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always use to be that way? My uncle says no. Six of my friends have been shot in the last year alone. Ten of them died in car wrecks. I’m afraid of them and they don’t like me because I’m afraid(27)”. Later on in the story we find out that Clarisse dies in a car accident, Millie tells Montag this when he asks her if she knew what had happened to Clarisse. But later in the story after Montag kills Beatty and is on the run, he sees a car full of teenagers and they try to kill him with the car. After that experience it says in the book, “They would have killed me,thought Montag, swaying, the air still torn and stirring around him in dust touching his bruised cheek. For no reason at all in the world they would have killed me. [..] I wonder if they were the ones who killed Clarisse? He stopped and his mind said it again very, loud. I wonder if they were the ones who killed Clarisse! He wanted to run after them yelling(122)”. Before Clarisse dies, she mentioned how ten of her friends died in a car accident, when she dies Montag her her death was caused by a car accident and now Montag almost dies the same way. There is a connection between all these events and it allows for Montag and Clarisse to be connected even after her death. This quote also directly makes us feel Clarisse’s presence. In this near death experience for Montag, he thinks about Clarisse and her tragic ending. He also threatens his own life again and wants to go confront those teenagers by asking if they were the ones that killed Clarisse. Her presence is felt because he is mentioning her name and relates her death to what is happening to him in that moment. Another way Clarisse’s presence is indirectly felt in the story is when Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles come over Mildred and Guy’s home. In the first chapter Clarisse mentions seeing her psychiatrist and how the authoritative people in her life make her go because they think that she is crazy. Later on in the book when all the ladies are in the Montag household Montag gets so aggravated that they just do nothing and watch the walls that he reads them a poem. When Mrs.Phelps starts crying Mrs.Bowles gets very upset and says, “I’m trotting right straight home. You want to visit my house and my ‘family,’ well and good. But I won’t come in this fireman’s crazy house again in my lifetime!(97)”. Since Montag is trying to make the women think and reads them a poem that allows them to feel Mrs.Bowles gets upset with him. Clarisse’s presence is felt here because since they are being different they are labeled crazy and people are starting to not like them anymore. Montag is starting to feel what Clarisse had felt daily and in a way he is developing her way of thinking. The last way Clarisse’s presence was directly felt is when Montag was leaving his old society and life behind. While Montag is walking away on the train tracks he says, “He walked on the track. And he was surprised to learn how certain he suddenly was of a single fact he could not prove. Once, long ago, Clarisse had walked here, where he was walking now(138)”. Montag feels this sort of connection with Clarisse and he feels a sort of familiar feeling here and thinks that Clarisse had walked there. Clarisse’s presence in that moment made him feel like they were both connected. This is how Clarisse’s presence was felt both directly and indirectly throughout the story.
I think that if Clarisse had not died on page 29 of the story, we would have read something similar to what we are reading now. Like I previously said before, I Clarisse’s death caused Montag to question his government and also cause him to change how he saw the world. I think if Clarisse had not died the story would have not been very different, the only thing that would really change is that the book would be longer since it would take Montag longer to act after realising how his government was brainwashing the citizens in their society. In the beginning they show how Montag is already a curious person and that he does sometimes breaks the rules he knows that he should follow, “But Montag did not move and only stood thinking of the ventilator grill in the hall at home and what lay hidden behind the grill. If someone here in the firehouse knew about the ventilator then mightn’t they ‘tell’ the Hound…?(24)”. Clarisse wasn’t the one that made Montag like this. He already does this before ever meeting her so this shows he would have still hidden the books. Despite this, Clarisse would have probably ended up reading books herself whether it she had gotten it from Montag or if she had gotten it from somewhere else. The two of them would have ended up reading these books together instead of Montag reading these books with his wife Mildred who had no interest in them she even says, “Why should I read? What for?(69)” I also think that Montag would have left with Clarisse and her family. Beatty mentions that they are different so their family will end up being targeted. Montag’s friend Faber talks about camps set up by people that actually had minds of their own. He says, “I’ve heard there are still hobo camps all across the country, here and there; walking camps they call them, and if you keep walking far enough and keep an eye peeled, they say there’s lots of old Harvard degrees on the tracks between here and Los Angeles. Most of them are wanted and hunted in the cities(126)”. Since Clarisse’s family was different and sat and thought for fun and engaged in deep conversation they were a threat to the government. It would make sense that if Clarisse remained alive that she would try to keep her family safe so Montag would probably tell her about that and leave with her. I also think that Montag would have introduced Clarisse to Faber and they would all become great friends. Faber is very smart, he is also different from other people in society and misses the days when people actually had deep intellectual conversations. Clarisse is very inquisitive she once asked Montag, “ How did it start? how did you get into it? How did you pick your work and how did you happen to think to take the job you have? [...](21)”. If Clarisse was still there the two would be interested in each other Clarisse would probably ask him plenty of questions of life before and he’d be happy to be see someone with a brain that thinks for themselves instead of being force feed ways of engaging with people. Though the book wouldn’t have changed a lot I still think the minor changes that would have happened would have made the book much more interesting.
A character’s death isn’t something a person should take lightly since it does affect the story or showing you are engaging in. It also makes you question how the story will turn out since it will engage you much more. Clarisse’s premature death in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 has its own reasons regarding the main character Montag’s early development in the beginning chapters of the book. Although Clarisse was such a unique character in the book her demise allowed for Montag to become unique in his own way in the story. He became much more different from his friends and family we meet in the story. He also becomes different from society and challenges his government because of this. Killing off a unique character such as Clarisse is not just a cheap plot twist authors use to make their stories more interesting but a way for authors to make sure their readers are engaged and paying attention to the story.
his novel Fahrenheit 451 especially the main character, Guy Montag. Someone may ask, “What reason would Bradbury have to kill Clarisse. What is the purpose in killing off this unique character? The death of Clarisse was not simply just so that Ray Bradbury could get rid of her, but to instead get Montag on a path of self realization. Some people might have view her death as being just sad but in reality there is some foreshadowing and symbolism in her death. Clarisse’s death was suppose to make you feel something.
Bradbury’s extremely forced death upon Clarisse would make some people believe that Bradbury simply wanted to get rid of her as fast as he could.
The author of the story’s real intentions for killing Clarisse was to make an impact on Montag that would change his path in life. Montag, as we know from the beginning, didn’t really follow the rules. “But Montag did not move and only stood thinking of the ventilator grill in the hall at home and what lay hidden behind the grill. If someone here in the firehouse knew about the ventilator then mightn’t they ‘tell’ the Hound…?(Bradbury 24)”. As we know, in this society reading books is illegal and the Hounds job is to kill people/ put people under anesthesia. There is nothing that Montag could have have that would make the Hound in the firehouse want to attack him, especially if some other fireman knows that he is hiding books. Although Montag had all these books he didn’t really do anything with them he never really read them and he conformed to the society he was living in. After Clarisse came into Montag’s life, Montag wanted to have more engaging and thought provoking conversations. Clarisse also taught Montag about the past and about how firemen used to stop fires instead of creating them. All this information Montag gets from Clarisse gets him hooked and he wants even more of that knowledge and insight that his new friend Clarisse will be able to give to him. Clarisse is a beacon of hope for Montag, when she comes into his neighborhood he appreciates how different she is and they become friends in a matter of days. When a friend dies, your reaction towards that should be shocked and then you might get angry or depressed. When Clarisse dies this is anger and confusion plagues Montag and it starts to make him question his own life and the rules of society just like Clarisse would have questioned the rules of society if she were still alive. When Mildred finally tells Montag that Clarisse died he gets angry over the
fact that she died about four days ago and no one had told him and then that anger somehow goes from outraged to trying to fully grasp what happened. ¨ ‘Four days ago,’ he said, quietly, lying there(45).¨ This shows that while Clarisse was alive, she and Montag established a fast friendship. Montag feels like he found someone that isn’t generic like all the rest and he lost her just as fast he became friends with her, he probably could not believe that he could have possibly made a friend like her. Montag was probably confused with her death, she had died four days ago and he did not notice at all, she was suppose to be his friend and she was suppose to be different from everyone else. Montag probably learns in this moment how disconnected he is from the world and the negative outcome that happens when you disconnect from each other. Another impact Clarisse’s death made on Montag is that when she died he figured out how much control his government has over everyone. When Captain Beatty(captain of the firemen, he has a high authority ranking) arrives at Montag and Millie’s home he talks about taking kids out of school at a younger so that the government can basically brainwash the children at a younger age. He talks about how the government had been keeping tabs on the Mckellen family (Clarisse’s family) because of how different they are and because they don’t fit into how they imagined society to be. When Montag tries to discuss Clarisse’s death, Captain Beatty says, “[...]You ask a lot of questions and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl’s better off dead(58)”. He puts out this underlying idea that maybe the government planned Clarisse’s death. This makes Montag start to think maybe Beatty his boss and the government can not be trusted. He is thinking how can they be so heartless about the death of this teenage girl. He is thinking Clarisse was harmless yet they still killed her just because she wasn’t like every other citizen that they had managed to brainwash so they wouldn’t have minds of their own. These events in the first chapter are what ultimately led to Montag trying to overthrow his government at the end of the book.
Clarisse’s presence is felt throughout the book after she is dead multiple times both directly and indirectly. A direct way Clarisse is mentioned is when Montag is on the run and he sees a bunch of teenager in the car. In the very beginning of the book when Clarisse is telling Montag why she doesn’t have friend after Montag tells her she sounds old Clarisse says, “Sometimes I’m ancient. I’m afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always use to be that way? My uncle says no. Six of my friends have been shot in the last year alone. Ten of them died in car wrecks. I’m afraid of them and they don’t like me because I’m afraid(27)”. Later on in the story we find out that Clarisse dies in a car accident, Millie tells Montag this when he asks her if she knew what had happened to Clarisse. But later in the story after Montag kills Beatty and is on the run, he sees a car full of teenagers and they try to kill him with the car. After that experience it says in the book, “They would have killed me,thought Montag, swaying, the air still torn and stirring around him in dust touching his bruised cheek. For no reason at all in the world they would have killed me. [..] I wonder if they were the ones who killed Clarisse? He stopped and his mind said it again very, loud. I wonder if they were the ones who killed Clarisse! He wanted to run after them yelling(122)”. Before Clarisse dies, she mentioned how ten of her friends died in a car accident, when she dies Montag her her death was caused by a car accident and now Montag almost dies the same way. There is a connection between all these events and it allows for Montag and Clarisse to be connected even after her death. This quote also directly makes us feel Clarisse’s presence. In this near death experience for Montag, he thinks about Clarisse and her tragic ending. He also threatens his own life again and wants to go confront those teenagers by asking if they were the ones that killed Clarisse. Her presence is felt because he is mentioning her name and relates her death to what is happening to him in that moment. Another way Clarisse’s presence is indirectly felt in the story is when Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles come over Mildred and Guy’s home. In the first chapter Clarisse mentions seeing her psychiatrist and how the authoritative people in her life make her go because they think that she is crazy. Later on in the book when all the ladies are in the Montag household Montag gets so aggravated that they just do nothing and watch the walls that he reads them a poem. When Mrs.Phelps starts crying Mrs.Bowles gets very upset and says, “I’m trotting right straight home. You want to visit my house and my ‘family,’ well and good. But I won’t come in this fireman’s crazy house again in my lifetime!(97)”. Since Montag is trying to make the women think and reads them a poem that allows them to feel Mrs.Bowles gets upset with him. Clarisse’s presence is felt here because since they are being different they are labeled crazy and people are starting to not like them anymore. Montag is starting to feel what Clarisse had felt daily and in a way he is developing her way of thinking. The last way Clarisse’s presence was directly felt is when Montag was leaving his old society and life behind. While Montag is walking away on the train tracks he says, “He walked on the track. And he was surprised to learn how certain he suddenly was of a single fact he could not prove. Once, long ago, Clarisse had walked here, where he was walking now(138)”. Montag feels this sort of connection with Clarisse and he feels a sort of familiar feeling here and thinks that Clarisse had walked there. Clarisse’s presence in that moment made him feel like they were both connected. This is how Clarisse’s presence was felt both directly and indirectly throughout the story.
I think that if Clarisse had not died on page 29 of the story, we would have read something similar to what we are reading now. Like I previously said before, I Clarisse’s death caused Montag to question his government and also cause him to change how he saw the world. I think if Clarisse had not died the story would have not been very different, the only thing that would really change is that the book would be longer since it would take Montag longer to act after realising how his government was brainwashing the citizens in their society. In the beginning they show how Montag is already a curious person and that he does sometimes breaks the rules he knows that he should follow, “But Montag did not move and only stood thinking of the ventilator grill in the hall at home and what lay hidden behind the grill. If someone here in the firehouse knew about the ventilator then mightn’t they ‘tell’ the Hound…?(24)”. Clarisse wasn’t the one that made Montag like this. He already does this before ever meeting her so this shows he would have still hidden the books. Despite this, Clarisse would have probably ended up reading books herself whether it she had gotten it from Montag or if she had gotten it from somewhere else. The two of them would have ended up reading these books together instead of Montag reading these books with his wife Mildred who had no interest in them she even says, “Why should I read? What for?(69)” I also think that Montag would have left with Clarisse and her family. Beatty mentions that they are different so their family will end up being targeted. Montag’s friend Faber talks about camps set up by people that actually had minds of their own. He says, “I’ve heard there are still hobo camps all across the country, here and there; walking camps they call them, and if you keep walking far enough and keep an eye peeled, they say there’s lots of old Harvard degrees on the tracks between here and Los Angeles. Most of them are wanted and hunted in the cities(126)”. Since Clarisse’s family was different and sat and thought for fun and engaged in deep conversation they were a threat to the government. It would make sense that if Clarisse remained alive that she would try to keep her family safe so Montag would probably tell her about that and leave with her. I also think that Montag would have introduced Clarisse to Faber and they would all become great friends. Faber is very smart, he is also different from other people in society and misses the days when people actually had deep intellectual conversations. Clarisse is very inquisitive she once asked Montag, “ How did it start? how did you get into it? How did you pick your work and how did you happen to think to take the job you have? [...](21)”. If Clarisse was still there the two would be interested in each other Clarisse would probably ask him plenty of questions of life before and he’d be happy to be see someone with a brain that thinks for themselves instead of being force feed ways of engaging with people. Though the book wouldn’t have changed a lot I still think the minor changes that would have happened would have made the book much more interesting.
A character’s death isn’t something a person should take lightly since it does affect the story or showing you are engaging in. It also makes you question how the story will turn out since it will engage you much more. Clarisse’s premature death in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 has its own reasons regarding the main character Montag’s early development in the beginning chapters of the book. Although Clarisse was such a unique character in the book her demise allowed for Montag to become unique in his own way in the story. He became much more different from his friends and family we meet in the story. He also becomes different from society and challenges his government because of this. Killing off a unique character such as Clarisse is not just a cheap plot twist authors use to make their stories more interesting but a way for authors to make sure their readers are engaged and paying attention to the story.