Did montag kill clarisse?

It's a question that's been debated since Ray Bradbury's classic novel Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953. Did Montag, the book's protagonist, kill Clarisse, the young girl who opens his eyes to the beauty of life and the need for literacy? There's no clear answer in the novel, and even Bradbury himself was tight-lipped on the subject, saying only that "the answer is there in the book." But that hasn't stopped people from speculating. The most common theory is that Montag did, in fact, kill Clarisse. The reasoning goes like this: Clarisse is hit by a car and killed shortly after telling Montag that she's been spying on him and knows he has been stealing books. Montag is clearly distraught by her death, and he even considers quitting his job as a fireman, which is the occupation that requires him to burn books. But he doesn't quit, and instead he continues to work as a fireman and burns more books. The theory goes that Montag's continued work as a fireman is his way of dealing with the guilt of killing Clarisse. By burning books, he's metaphorically burning her memory and trying to forget what he did. It's a compelling theory, but there are other possible explanations for Clarisse's death. It's possible that she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and that her death was completely accidental. Or, it's possible that Bradbury never intended for there to be a definitive answer to the question of whether or not Montag killed Clarisse. The ambiguity might be the point, and it might be meant to leave readers wondering and debating the issue long after they've finished the book. Whatever the truth may be, one thing is certain: Clarisse's death has had a profound effect on Montag, and her memory will continue to haunt him for the rest of his life.