Ray portrays females as not important women to the society in F451. As we look further into the meaning of the two main female characters, Mildred and Clarisse, their significance plays a major role in the theme. They both have short but important roles and their actions lay out the plot line. Why does Ray not refer to the female sex as important?
Bardbury has the female role unimportant in F451 because in the beginning of the book, the young girl was only needed to open his eyes to the world around him outside of the simplistic world he lived in. Mildrid's role was not to down playing the female sex, but the life style of the society that they live in. (or so thats how I see it aniab)
Posts: 1 | Location: Lemont, Il, USA | Registered: 01 September 2004
I think that Ray Bradbury has both female characters playing extremely important roles in the plot. Though Clarisse has a very short role in the novel, it is one of the most important. The question she posed to Montag, "Are you happy?" changed the entire out look of the book. It was the turning point in which got Montag thinking about his life, his relationship with Mildred, and his job as a fireman. Clarisse's question really motivated Montag to make his life as meaningful and successful as he could, which is probably why he began taking the books in the first place. Mildred's role in the novel is to represent what the society had done to the human race. With all the technological improvements, their society had become a cloudy, muted, and very lonely world. In no way was Bradburys method of portraying women meant to demoralize them. Montag was simply more exposed to the society, but that does not mean that he is more important than any other female.
[This message has been edited by lyss12188 (edited 09-02-2004).]
Clarisse is perhaps the best female character RB ever did create in any story. I don't know why he typically has weak, pathetic, or just plain mean female characters.
He did have a pretty cool female character in an electric grandma in one story and another cool girl in his story The Dwarf. I'm not remembering any others. Maybe he's just old-fashioned.
[This message has been edited by grasstains (edited 09-02-2004).]
