What effect does Clarisse have on Montag?

Clarisse has a profound effect on Montag and is the catalyst for him to begin thinking about his life and occupation of burning books.  At the beginning of the novel, we witness Montag burning books and his elation while doing it.  His face is covered with soot, and he has a “fierce grin” upon his face.  He is enjoying his job until he meets Clarisse one night on his way home.  Clarisse’s face is described as being “slender and milk-white, and in it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiosity.”  Clarisse’s hunger to know and experience the world around her is in direct conflict with Montag’s soot covered face hungry to burn the knowledge and experiences found in books. 

From Clarisse, Montag learns about nature and enjoying the outdoors and sunrise.  He learns that she and her family sit around and laugh and talk.  He can hear her from his bedroom window as he watches his wife in the cold, dark tomb of their bedroom saved from an overdose of drugs by hospital workers who make house calls.  Before meeting Clarisse, Montag had become numb to society; he was metaphorically dead inside until Clarisse’s infectious curiosity and love of life changes his way of thinking.  Montag becomes more open and willing to question why society burns books.  Because of his brief encounters with Clarisse, Montag begins his journey of rebelling against the society he lives in and becomes a force in keeping the knowledge found in books alive for future generations.