1. Perspective and Point of View
How does Montag see the world?

2. Perspective A particular attitude or way of regarding something
Your perspective is your way of seeing something.
Synonyms:
Point of view
Outlook
Position

3. Character’s Perspective/Point of View
A character’s point of view is their attitude or outlook.
It is the way they see or view things.

4. Determining Character’s Reactions:
Look at a character’s …
Actions
Words (dialogue)
Thoughts
Emotions
What’s your perspective?

5. What’s The Connection?
By looking at a character’s reactions, it gives us insight into how a character views the people and things around him or her.

6. Steps…
To determine a character’s point of view of another character I …
Locate a conversation between the two characters.
Ask, “How does Character A react to Character B?”
Describe the character’s point of view of the other character.

7. 1. Locate a conversation
Pg. 6- 1st Conversation between Montag and Clarisse
“You laugh when I haven’t been funny and you answer right off. You never stop to think what I’ve asked you.” (Clarisse)
He stopped walking. “You are an odd one,” he said, looking at her. “Haven’t you any respect?”
“I don’t mean to be insulting. It’s just I love to watch people too much, I guess.”
“Well doesn’t this mean anything to you?” He tapped the numerals 451 stitched on his char-colored sleeve.
“Yes,” she whispered. She increased her pace.

8. 2. Ask, how does Montag react to Clarisse?
Pg. 6- 1st Conversation between Montag and Clariss
“Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them?”
“No. Houses have always been fireproof, take my word for it.”
“Strange. I heard once that a long time ago houses used to burn by accident and they needed firemen to stop the flames.”
He laughed.
“You laugh when I haven’t been funny and you answer right off. You never stop to think what I’ve asked you.”
He stopped walking. “You are an odd one,” he said, looking at her. “Haven’t you any respect?”
“I don’t mean to be insulting. It’s just I love to watch people too much, I guess.”
“Well doesn’t this mean anything to you?” He tapped the numerals 451 stitched on his char-colored sleeve.
“Yes,” she whispered. She increased her pace.

9. 2. Ask, how does Montag react to Clarisse? (cont.)
“No. Houses have always been fireproof, take my word for it.”
He laughed.
I can see that Montag sees Clarisse as __________ because __________.
When I look at Montag’s words and actions closely, I notice a few things.
He dismisses Clarisse’s suggestion that things used to be different, claiming that things have always been like this. He then goes on to say “take my word for it.” This seems like something an adult says to a little child. It seems like he’s condescending, telling her that he knows better than her.
He then laughs at her suggestion that the fireman’s job used to be very different, therefore dismissing it without thought.
Therefore, I think he sees Clarisse as childish and naïve because she is asking ridiculous questions.

10. 2. Ask, how does Montag react to Clarisse? (cont.)
He stopped walking. “You are an odd one,” he said, looking at her. “Haven’t you any respect?”
Here he is __________ by her ______________.
THEN, when she calls him on that, he says “haven’t you any respect,” which again makes me think he is emphasizing their age difference to make her feel stupid. He also suggests that she is not showing the proper deference to her elders.
So here, he is annoyed with her rude questions.

11. 2. Ask, how does Montag react to Clarisse? (cont.)
“Well doesn’t this mean anything to you?” He tapped the numerals 451 stitched on his char-colored sleeve.
Based on Montag’s words and actions, he is __________ because _____________.
Finally, Montag points out the numbers on his jacket (451) to remind Clarisse that the job of a fireman is to burn books (451 degrees=the degree at which books burn). He seems annoyed when he says “doesn’t this mean anything to you?” and tapping his sleeve, reminds her that this is an official part of his uniform as a firefighter.
He wants to drive home that he is correct while she is wrong.

12. 3. Describe Montag’s point of view of Clarisse.
From Montag’s point of view, Clarisse is unsettling. She has outlandish ideas which subvert his understanding of the world.
Montag is amused by Clarisse’s naïvety.
He is annoyed by her rude (probing) questions.
He wants to prove that he is right and she is wrong.

13. Now you try!
Identify the conversation between Montag and Clarisse. (Use pg. 6-top of 8)
Ask, “How does Montag react to Clarisse?” (Record each individual answer)
Describe Montag’s point of view of Clarisse by looking at the sum of his reactions.