The Role Of Happiness In Fahrenheit 451

Without happiness, sadness cannot exist. In today’s society, happiness and sadness coexist and form an unbreakable bond. In Ray Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, that bond does not exist. In this book, the main character, Guy Montag, desperately wants to be happy; but society tells him to stay neutral. Montag understands that he never genuinely happily married his wife when he meets a clever girl named Clarisse McClellan. Montag breaks free of society’s expectations with the help of Clarisse, by learning about the past, and through his own, more literal, battles to finally achieve true happiness. “Are you happy?” Clarisse asks Montag (7). Such a simple question caused Montag to rethink everything he was comfortable with in his life. He understands that his marriage to his wife, Mildred, has never been happy. In fact, he cannot even remember when and where they first met. In his defense, though, neither can Mildred; and frankly, she cannot care less. In the long run, it turns out Clarisse is, metaphorically, a catalyst for Montag to take a stand against society and Captain Beatty alike. Montag notices shortly after meeting Clarisse that she mostly talked about her uncle’s experiences. “...His
Countless people, comparable to Mildred, live in a faux reality where, on the outside, they seem like they are functioning perfectly and that nothing is wrong. In reality, their society exclusively is broken. Various people marry each other without remembering much of their past together. When the citizens start to think about it, they comprehend that they aren’t truly happy. From Montag’s point of view, he goes against everything he has ever known to reach true happiness, whether he realizes it or not. Montag meets Clarisse, the curious neighbor, learns about the past, and struggles through first hand battles to attain