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Illustrated portrait of Clarisse McClellan

A character in Fahrenheit 451

Clarisse McClellan

Clarisse is Montag’s seventeen-year-old neighbor.

The book

Cover of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury, 1953

Books burn easily in a culture already trained to prefer speed, noise, entertainment, and easy answers.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Clarisse is Montag’s seventeen-year-old neighbor. She notices weather, asks direct questions, and comes from a family that still talks together. Her curiosity helps awaken Montag, though she never becomes part of his organized rebellion. Mildred reports that Clarisse was hit by a car and killed. The novel does not independently confirm the event, but she disappears and her family moves away.

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