Individualism In Fahrenheit 451

Furthermore, both author’s rely on complicated, round characters to enlighten the protagonist. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag’s perspective on life changes when the values of mainstream society are juxtaposed with Clarisse McClellan, a seventeen year old girl, who does not adhere to society's twisted values. After a single conversation with Clarisse one night as Montag walks home from work, Montag is forced to reevaluate his own beliefs. Bradbury comments,“How immense a figure she was on the stage before him, what a shadow she threw on the wall with her slender body”(9). Even though Clarisse only interacted with Montag for a brief duration of the novel, the impact of her character cannot be stressed enough. Clarisse leads Montag to question not

only his choices, but society's values. She also exposes Montag to the truth of the past and convinces him that he is not really in love with his wife. After Clarisse’s senseless death, where she is hit by an enraged driver, she serves as a martyr for Montag. While conversing with the Fire Chief, Montag explains, “Suddenly it seemed a much younger voice was speaking for him. He opened his mouth and it was Clarisse McClellan saying, “Didn’t firemen prevent fires rather than stoke them up and get them going”(31). Not only has Clarisse’s influence led Montag to challenge his values, he is empowered to confront his society and the people who support its corrupt values.
Like Clarisse, Tommy, another one of Kathy’s influences from her days at Hailsham, is considered freakish.

Unlike his peers, Tommy is prone to violent outbreaks of rage and has an extremely creative approach to art which involves drawing imaginary animals. Throughout his life, he has been victimized by his peers who consider him to be an aberration. Tommy, a free thinker, comes to the conclusion that the purpose of the art from Hailsham is to show the depths of the student’s soles. Intent on showing his individualism, Tommy pursues his own artist talent to great depths. When the truth is revealed, that the contents of his heart, will not liberate him from the donations system, which will take his life, Kathy, while returning Tommy to to the donation center notes,“I was waiting for him to say something about the pictures; it even occurred to me he was working up to another rage, when he’d throw all of the pictures out of the window. But he held the bag protectively with both hands and kept staring at the dark road unfolding before us”(275). In this moment, Tommy holds onto his pictures tightly, showing that he has no intention of relinquishing his own identity to a society which has taken everything else from him. Additionally, Tommy and Kathy both look out into the dark road ahead, which signifies that emanate darkness that their futures are to bring. It is further significant, that for the first time, Kathy realizes that she is in the same boat as Tommy, and this dark

road which lies in front of Tommy is her future as well. On the same ride, Kathy reasons, “I was thinking maybe the reason you used to get like that was because at some level you always knew”(275). As Kathy, insightfully suggests, the strong anger outbursts that Tommy exhibits are the result of him always being aware of his destiny, while the other students were naive. Here, the dystopian nature of society is revealed, as Kathy for the first time understands that her blissful childhood was built on lies and ignorance.
The interactions between the protagonists and Clarisse and Tommy, and their tragic deaths serve as a reawakening for both Bradbury’s and Ishiguro’s protagonists.When Montag is first introduced to Clarisse, he perceives her as a foolish child with unorthodox values. However, Clarisse's ideas grow on Montag and leave him wondering why this girl is seen as so strange and unnatural. Clarice’s death serves as a crucial moment in Montag’s life as the senselessness of her death forces Montag to realize that they life that he has lived is senseless and meaningless. Even Montag recounts recklessly driving his car to release his tension, just like Clarisse’s killer, who is likely unaware that he even murdered her. Moreover, Kathy, after Tommy’s death, realizes all of the things that this dystopian society has taken away from her. As she prepares for her own donation process to start she fully acknowledges all of the things that society has taken away from her. While looking out on an empty field boarded by barbed wire, Kathy notes,“I half closed my eyes and imagined this was the spot where everything I’d lost since my childhood had washed up”(287). Tommy’s death awakens Kathy to the truths of her society and forces her to acknowledge that every human experience has been withheld from her.
The final set of characters which expose the protagonists to their dystopian society are the antagonists.

Fire Captain Beatty, throughout the novel, intimidates and frightens Montag with the threat that comes with owning books and possessing knowledge in general. However, in spite of Beatty’s tyrannizing claims his love for books and knowledge cannot be ignored. When Beatty and Montag prepare to burn a woman’s library, the woman chooses to be burned with her books. Afterwards Beatty flaunts his literary expertise and quotes Latimer, saying,“We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out”(37). This demonstrates the amount of respect that Beatty has for this woman and the value of knowledge. Not only is Beatty well-versed in history, this statement illustrates Beatty’s subtle sympathizes for the woman and reveals that his character is internally conflicted. Yet, Beatty allows for the woman to be burned with her books because the woman could not return to the conformity that society is expected. Montag is receptive to Beatty’s sympathy and becomes acute to the dualities which govern society. When Montag escapes from the town, he liberates Beatty as well. When Beatty fulfills his obligatory duty to halt Montag’s attempt to abscond, the Fire Captain “was a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling gibbering mannikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on

him”(113). Similar to the death of the unnamed woman, Beatty’s death by flame symbolically represents the burning of the books and his desire to no longer live in a world where he is imprisoned by ignorance. Through the complexities of the Captain, Montag learns that his society is suppressing the free will of even the leaders of society. Therefore, the captain, is not the true antagonist of Bradbury's novel, the antagonist is society as a whole.