Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Why is Clarisse jailed by the authorities in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury?

In Fahrenheit 451, Clarisse is not jailed by the authorities, but she is a target of surveillance. In Part One, for example, Beatty admits Clarisse's whole family is being watched by the government:



We've a record on her family. We've watched them carefully. Heredity and environment are funny things. You can't rid yourselves of all the odd ducks in just a few years.



In other words, Clarisse and her family are under surveillance because they do not conform to socially-accepted ideas of normality. They are free-thinkers, questioning society and expressing dislike for popular forms of entertainment, like driving fast on the highway.


Bradbury does not make clear what happens to Clarisse when she suddenly disappears. Mildred, for example, tells Montag that she has "gone" and the whole family has moved. Mildred thinks Clarisse is dead but does not know what happened to her. In Part Three, however, Montag suggests Clarisse was a victim of a hit-and-run attack.

No comments:

Post a Comment

How does the choice of details set the tone of the sermon?

Edwards is remembered for his choice of details, particularly in this classic sermon. His goal was not to tell people about his beliefs; he ...