Clarisse McClellan in Fahrenheit 451 : Character Analysis

Ray Bradbury’s novel, 'Fahrenheit 451' was published in 1953 and is considered the author's greatest work.

The novel takes a stand against censorship and identifies literature's significance for both humanity and civilization. The story follows a society ruled by technology and completely dependent on all sorts of technology, where war threats are a constant.

Clarisse McClellan is one of the important characters in the novel, ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ and influences the protagonist of the story, Guy Montag, to question his job and everything around him.

So, let’s take a deep dive into the character of Clarisse McClellan in ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and understand the character’s influence on the entire story.

Clarisse McClellan: Character Traits and Her Significance

The seventeen-year-old neighbor of Guy and Mildred Montag, Clarisse, leaves a lasting impact on the minds of readers and forces Guy Montag to rethink his decisions and his perception of the world around him. As mentioned earlier, Fahrenheit 451 talks about a world ruled by technology and battling constant war threats. The author uses the character Clarisse McClellan beautifully in this dystopian novel.

Let’s take a deeper look into the character from all aspects:

Appearance

The author gives a proper description of Clarisse McClellan. She is attractive compared to other characters in the story, and her appearance makes her unique. Her copper hair and blue eyes make her different and shed light on her individuality. With the world glued to the various aspects of technology and following the rules and regulations of an oppressive government, Clarisse comes as a breath of fresh air. Her appearance is more than enough to grab the attention of readers and make them interested to know more about the character.

Curiosity

One of the traits that make Clarisse different from others is her curiosity. She questions everything and is curious to know the reason books are banned in the city. In the novel, she gets curious to know about her neighbor Guy Montag’s work and life and questions him about everything going on in his life. Her curiosity makes Guy think about the work he is doing and question the society around him. Clarisse’s curiosity is pivotal in making people like Guy Montag question things they have always accepted without any queries.

The author uses Clarisse’s curious nature very nicely in the novel. He makes the character influence others with her curiosity and get them out of their mindset of accepting everything the government asks them to do. The protagonist in the novel, Guy Montag, lacks self-awareness and is forced to question himself.

Rebellion

The novel revolves around a society ruled by an oppressive government and people who blindly follow everything the government asks them to do. Clarisse is introduced as someone who is not ready to accept all the rules set by the authorities. The world in the novel has some expectations from individuals, and Clarisse is not ready to conform to them. Instead, she wants to explore the world and discover new things. Her rebellious nature inspires the protagonist Guy Montag, who soon goes on to rebel against the government and starts questioning their orders.

The character acts as an inspiration to many. Even if you look at the present world, you will see how all are forced to accept the set rules and regulations, and no one dares to question them. Clarisse acts as that person who has the heart to question the norms and has the urge to explore the unexplored. The character acts as a catalyst who wakes everybody up and urges them to protest against the government for their good.

Innocence

Despite the rebellious traits and curious nature, Clarisse is very innocent and naïve. She is unaware of the consequences of questioning the authorities or going against societal rules and regulations. The fact that her character is so powerful can be attributed to her innocent nature. She is not aware of the adverse effects of going against the authorities and does not step back from questioning them.

The author uses Clarisse very nicely to highlight the present condition of the world where young people are always questioning the weird rules and regulations without knowing the consequences. But in the present world, parents and adults stop them from questioning the authorities, but Clarisse has the heart to question and influence others to question the authorities and fight against them.

Her Impact on Guy Montag

The protagonist, Guy Montag, a fireman, is highly inspired by Clarisse McClellan. The guy was not aware of a world beyond the one they were living in. He felt that there was no way out of the world, and he had to accept everything the authorities asked them to do. Clarisse's independent nature and her way of looking at the world make Guy change his perception and start questioning everything he has known for so long.

Clarisse makes Guy Montag realize how unhappy he is in life. She asks crucial questions to Guy Montag, thus waking him up from a spiritual and intellectual slumber. For example, when Clarisse and Montag part ways, she asks him if he is happy, which makes him realize his unhappy state of mind. Clarisse also influences Montag to read books and leads him to believe that books can unlock secrets and save society from getting destroyed.

The influence of Guy Montag is evident throughout the novel. Guy is shown stealing books from houses he is supposed to burn and being curious to know about the natural world. He was confined within himself and had no idea about the beauty of the world around him until Clarisse came into his life. Clarisse also inspires him to question his colleagues and the authorities they work for.

The novel also shows how Clarisse introduces Montag to a group of rebels who works to preserve books and knowledge. The Book People, as they call themselves, are shown living out of the city and are working against the government, and are dedicated to preserving the knowledge and books banned by the authorities. Montag becomes part of the group and works with them to preserve the books.

A Voice of Reason & a Symbol of Hope

Clarisse acts as a character who speaks logic and asks for justifications for all the things going on around her. She questions if Montag and the firemen have the right to burn books and if it is the right thing to do. Also, the obsession with technology and materialistic comforts is questioned by the seventeen-year-old girl. These inspire Montag to take some time out and look at the natural world and question societal norms.

Clarisse’s character in the novel is short-lived. However, the character personifies hope in a society that cannot see a world beyond the one they are living in. She signifies a different perspective towards life. She values the power of knowledge and inspires the protagonist to look for books and gain knowledge before following the set rules and regulations blindly. Also, she serves as an inspiration to challenge the government and fight for justice. She is someone who believes there's always room for change and no one must give up on hope and work to bring in a change in society.

Clarisse’s Fate

The author makes sure that the character has a massive impact on the story. Yet, Clarisse has a very short time in the novel and disappears from the story all of a sudden. Later in the story, it is revealed that Clarisse got killed by a car. Clarisse's tragic fate and sudden disappearance do not have any impact on her influence on Montag and the story. She lives on through Montag and his rebellion against the government. View Examples

Clarisse vs. Mildred

Mildred, the wife of Montag, was very different from Clarisse. Contrary to the beliefs of Clarisse, Mildred is obsessed with materialistic possessions and is addicted to drugs. Mildred is also shown as someone who is not interested in exploring nature and the world outside. Clarisse is very open-minded and wants to explore the world. Mildred is the reason behind Montag's behavior and why he is not aware of the world outside.

Endnote:

Fahrenheit 451 covers some alarming aspects of a dystopian society. The author uses Clarisse McClellan in Fahrenheit 451 as a symbol of hope and as someone who can see beyond the things happening in the world. The character symbolizes the need to know instead of following the set rules and regulations blindly. Being one of the best creations by Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 and its characters leave a massive impact on the mind of the readers. Clarisse McClellan and her influence on Guy Montag makes the story even more interesting and gives out a message loud and clear about being knowledgeable and curious about the things happening around you. It is a must-read for all.