Clarisse asks why Montag is laughing after he has laughed three times at her comments. He first laughs when she says she can tell he is a fireman, then laughs when she asks if he reads any of the books he burns, and finally laughs again when she states she has heard firemen used to put out fires, not start them.
Montag laughs because Clarisse says probing and unorthodox things that disturb him. Clarisse asks why he is laughing because she knows that what they are talking about isn't funny. She recognizes that he uses laughter as a defense against thought. She says "You never stop to think what I've asked you."
Clarisse's questioning of Montag's laughter causes him to be thoughtful. He calls her "odd," and she agrees that she thinks and observes too much. Through her, Montag begins to be reawakened to seeing the world around him and to realize he is dissatisfied with his life.
During Montag and Clarisse's first conversation, she tells him that she had heard that long ago firemen used to put out fires instead of starting them. Montag's initial reaction is to laugh at Clarisse's comment, and she asks him why he is laughing. Clarisse tells Montag,
You laugh when I haven't been funny and you answer right off. You never stop to think what I've asked you (Bradbury, 3).
Clarisse's response is significant because it reveals Montag's nature. Similar to the rest of the citizens in Bradbury's dystopian society, Montag fails to closely analyze the world around him and fails to think critically about questions he is presented. Clarisse notices that Montag's automatic response is to laugh instead of thinking about an acceptable response. In contrast, Clarisse is an insightful, curious teenager, who observes and critiques society. Clarisse's introspective nature affects Montag; he begins to examine his life for the first time. Later on, Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy, and he discovers that he is not. Her minor observations, such as Montag's forced, automatic laugh, make Montag question his life.
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