Clarisse is a seventeen year old young woman who walks with
Montag on his trips home from work. She is unusual sort of person in the bookless society:
outgoing, naturally cheerful, and unusually intuitive. She is unpopular among her peers and
disliked by teachers for asking "why" instead of "how" and focusing on nature rather than on
technology. She often skips school because she thinks it is a pointless routine, a repetition.
She shows Montag that he is not in love with his wife, Mildred, whom Montag has been married to
for ten years. This embarrassed Montag and he tries to deny it, but inside, he knows it is true.
Only a short time after meeting Montag she disappears without any explanation, although Mildred
and Captain Beatty claim she was killed in a car accident.
Clarisse
represents innocence. In a society based upon blind acceptance of government policy, constant
search for raw, immediate gratification, she likes "to smell things and look at things, and
sometimes stay up all night, walking, and watching the sunrise". Clarisse does not accept the
values set forth for her by society, and rarely takes part in activities, such as jet car racing,
which appeal to the need for constant unthinking stimulation and are most preferred by the
majority. Clarisse is an individual who is in touch with her own soul, and she is able to see the
world around her and honestly evaluate its worth.
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