Character Letter (Character's Perspective) March 19, 2009

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Dear Book Club,
Hi, my name is Clarisse McClellan, and I am a character from the book “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury. This is a science fiction novel where a futuristic world does not allow individual thinking, reading, or developing real relationships with other people or nature. My purpose in this book is to cause Mr. Montag to question life as he knows it, specifically his job as a fireman, where he is paid to burn down houses if books are discovered inside of them. I was one of the reasons why Mr. Montag read stolen books and eventually ran away from the government and gained knowledge useful for the society to come, one where censorship no longer ruled.
I am a 17 year old girl with a round face and blonde hair. I am very inquisitive and want to know why you’re making that expression, what your opinion about communism is and what you dreamt about last night. I am also kind of observant. I just noticed that more than 67 % of the boys are wearing jeans. Why is that? Wait, no, that is my other characteristic- I notice everything around me!
As you can see, I am always questioning and looking deeper into things. When I met Montag, he actually got annoyed with me because I wouldn’t let him speak, let alone process one out of the 20 questions I gave him at a time. Many times he’s laughed at my questions but I could tell that he was thinking about them as he walked home and I would have asked him about it the next day if I hadn’t gone on to three more subjects by then.
One of the things I enjoy everyday is my walk through the park. I study everything; I watch the ants’ daily habits, pick dandelions and smell the rain. I love to simply observe anything I can find. Montag was so amazed when I read his face and could tell that he really wasn’t happy with his life even though he denied it at first. I guess it’s another thing that makes me different from most people.
It is my questioning that triggers Montag’s ability to think, which is the heart of the plot. If I hadn’t secretly counseled him he probably would go on with his assumed lifestyle and might even try to kill himself, like many in our society. My observation does not affect the plot but without it I might not be enlightened enough to trigger Montag’s thoughts and his own questioning which is the basis of the whole story where he threatens the status quo.
I think that everyone should be as inquisitive as me, although no one would have time for the answers, but it is still a good quality to have. Observance is a fantastic feature and is greatly balanced with questioning. My inquisitive nature is critical to the plot and along with my observation, are very defining in my personality. Perhaps I have even gotten your curiosity up and you will read this book, which has become a classic. I hope so.

Cheers,
Clarisse (Cody)