I love Clarisse McClellan

I wrote a speech almost a year ago in which I cited Fahrenheit 451. Now I have actually read the book- it is amazing! I went out and bought it just so I could mark all the quotes and passages I like. I hate writing synopsi so I'm just going to share my favorite lines and the insights I got from the story.

How like a mirror, too, her face. Impossible; for how many people did you know who refracted your own light to you? People were more often-he searched for a simile, found one in his work- torches, blazing away until they whiffed out. How rarely did other people's faces take of you and throw back to you your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought?

I really thought about the people I know, trying to answer the question. I can think of a few who remind me of torches. I've never met one who reflected to me my own image though. But among my friends there are many who reflect His image, which is even better.

Well, after all, this is the age of the disposable tissue. Blow your nose on a person, wad them, flush them away, reach for another, blow, wad, flush.

I like this line because it reminds me of an analogy used by Fr. Jonathan Meyer in his talk on Theology of the Body. In explaining the world's idea of love Fr. Meyer used his analogy of "pizza love": It looks good, it smells good, it tastes good, take a bite, devour, repeat. But this quote applies to society as a whole. As I thought about it, there is little that is permanent is society- not values, morals, people, laws, truth. How scary must it be for people who embrace our current culture?

I'm antisocial, they say. I don't mix. It's so strange. I'm very social indeed. It all depends on what you mean by social, doesn't it? Social to me means talking to you about things like this.

I was homeschooled and grew up with practically every adult I met asking about "socialization," I like her response. Socialization to me means being able to talk and spend time with anyone. Not just those of my own age.

I'm afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always use to be that way?

While I was in highschool I was kept current on school happenings through our youth group. In the four years, many highschooolers died. Some committed suicide, others were killed in car-accidents, usually due to recklessness or drinking. There were bomb threats routinely one year. I remember being so grateful each time that I wasn't in public school. But the idea of children killing children also made me think of the girls having abortions- many so young they are practically children themselves.

Let you alone! That's all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?

This to me is a great answer to why God lets evil things (ie 9/11, Katrina, Tsunami) happen. We need to be shaken up, to be bothered once in a while. Events like this remind us of what is truly important.

The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school. That's why we've lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we're almost snatching them from the cradle.

Schools can be used for indoctrination purposes. Which is why parents need to be involved in their kids lives, to know and care about what is going on.

That's the good part of dying; when you've nothing to lose, you run any risk you want.

This is just a cool quote. I didn't put much thought into it's selection.

He hadn't known fire could look this way. He had never thought in his life that it could give as well as take.

Everything in the world has multiple sides, almost. We get stuck looking at things from our perspective, thinking we are right. Do we ever stop to look at it from the opposite side?
The futuristic society portrayed in the story really made me think about the world we live in. It has changed so much from my parents' generation, mostly for the worse. The passages in the book about tolerance, school indoctrination, media indoctrination, disposable era are all just a few steps down the path we are already on. It is a sobering thought, but I have just one more quote to share.

But that's the wonderful thing about man; he never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important and worth the doing.