Montag's Transformation In Fahrenheit 451

In the dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, author Ray Bradbury transforms protagonist, Guy Montag, through the interaction of subordinate character and seventeen year old girl, Clarisse McClellan. In the genesis of the novel, naive fireman Guy Montag burns books because in his controlled society books are illegal. Montag views his job as pure and kindling to the society instead of realizing the destruction it causes. Bradbury creates a society that feels threatened by anyone who is more intellectual than another and this encouraged lack of knowledge results in ignorance and ignorant people are easier to control. However, as the novel progresses Montag becomes a man he was nothing like before as he develops a new outlook on the society after meeting

Clarisse and gains a better understand of what is right and what is wrong. Bradbury begins Montag's supreme metamorphosis with the impactful friendship of Clarisse. Through the conversations and interactions with young Clarisse, Bradbury causes Montag to break from mindless and emotionally drawn to a curious and truth seeking adult to ultimately a thoughtful, and enlightened man.

At the start of the novel, Montag appears content with himself, his occupation, and the society for he goes about the world and his work never once stopping to question it all. Bradbury’s narration depicts Montag as a proud man who finds satisfaction within his job for early on he states how “It was a pleasure to burn. It was a pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed” (3). Montag has no idea of the tremendous change he is about to undergo. “With (Clarisse's) eyes so dark and shining and alive,” Montag notices the girl for the first time after returning home one moonlit evening on a sidewalk near their homes (4). The conversation commences with Clarisse commenting on his occupation as a fireman and the scent of kerosene Montag carries. The conversation creates a pivotal moment where Montag is introduced to Clarisse's unique charisma. Montag goes on to tell her the gas means “nothing but perfume” to him (5). Montag’s response emphasizes how cluelessly naive Montag is about the level of destruction his job causes and how it isn’t only about burning

books but erasing intellect found in the books. Clarisse's states how she isn’t “afraid of the firemen” because he is “just a man after all” and Montag begins to see “himself in her eyes” as “dark and tiny” (5). Montag not only notices the peculiarity of Clarisse's mindset but also her youthful physicality for her starts to describe in great detail her “fragile milk crystal” face that seems to hold a “soft and constant light”(5). This kindles a flame of curiosity in Montag because unlike the rest of the people in the society Clarisse intriguing questions why the world is the way it is. Montag laughs at the questions because of their absurdity even though in the back of his mind he takes interest in what Clarisse has to say and craves to understand what it is about Clarisse that causes her to be so different from the rest. She notices this pattern and asks why he’s laughing. As Montag replies with an “I don’t know (6)” and it is here that he realizes that he hasn’t thought about the curious questions Clarisse asks such as, “Is it true that long ago fireman put out fires…” or “Do you ever read any the books you burn?” (5). She continues to bombard him with questions about the moon, other firemen, and billboards as they walk but before Clarisse leaves she asks him, “Are you happy?” (7). At first the single question surprises Montag but as the girl runs off “in the moonlight” he is left with his nagging thoughts.
Over the course of the next few days Clarisse’s questions still run rampant through his mind and the realization of flaws in his occupation, marriage, and the societies laws hit him. Walking Clarisse home becomes an everyday routine for “as many times he came out of the house” for she always seems to be “somewhere in the world” (25). She becomes more and more daughter-like to him. Every day Clarisse has quirky question or comment and these continue to alter Montag’s perception of the society. Conversations with Clarisse throw Montag off and challenge him to think and see differently about the society around him for he hasn’t met anyone quite like her. Montag asks, “Why is it I feel I’ve known you so many years?” because he hadn’t met anyone that wasn’t absorbed into the technology filled society, who was curious about his occupation, and who took time to savor precious little moments like looking up at the bright full moon or tasting the rain (26). Bradbury chooses Clarisse to mention to Montag how “People don’t talk about anything,” to emphasis the severe disconnect the society has with important topics such as the society's problem with technology, problem with burning books, and the addictive materialistic world they live in (28). Later on in the novel Clarisse unfortunately dies and Montag is left with her unsettling questions that he still doesn’t have the answer to. He gains a burning desire, he didn’t have before Clarisse, to find answers to questions such as why does he burn book, what's in the books and when did the book burning start. All because of Clarisse he realizes that her questions are valid. Montag begins to see the society for the twisted distortion it is. Montag becomes a for answers and truth.
Because Montag fills with a need to know what the society is hiding from him, this causes Montag to analyze the way he previously was living.

Montag remembered how Clarisse pointed out that he “needed to be really bothered once in awhile” and went on to ask him, “How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?” (52). Clarisse was able to deeply “bother” him and bring to his attention the important issues of war, burning books, and the overuse of materialistic items (52). After her death he starts to truly question again if he is happy and soon after comes to conclusion that he isn’t for he notices how “Nobody listens any more” and Clarisse was the one person who did (78). Bradbury selects Clarisse as the character who provides an eye opening epiphany for Montag even though he didn’t see it coming. Clarisse is the single person that shakes him out of his brain-washed narrow minded ways through her curiosity, wonder, and ability to keep asking questions. His previous ignorance leads him to believe that the books were wrong and bad. Over the course of the novel, he realizes that books are made instead to inform, educate, and enlighten. He begins to become passionate about saving and preserving the books and more disgusted with the

society.
After meeting Clarisse, Montag no longer aspires to be book-burner but instead a book-preserver who feels motivated to cause further change in the broken society. All because of the relationship with Clarisse he no longer is mindless and blind about the problems of his society, instead he ultimately becomes an intellectual, determined, eye opened man. The origin of the shift in his outlook of the society was his ignorance but after meeting Clarisse he understands “If you hide your ignorance, no one will ever hit you and you will never learn” (100). In the end, Montag comes to the realization that Clarisse is able to address his ignorance and brings him face-to-face with reality that he previously was a problem maker with his lifestyle, not a problem solver.