Fahrenheit 451 Reflection

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As human beings, knowledge shapes who we are and sharpens our personalities, respect tightens our relationships, and love is what we need to achieve a happy life. What if there are no emotions, love, and respect between a young couple? What if they both live in a world which lacks knowledge and books but is full of violence and TV shows? Guy Montag and his wife, Mildred, who live in the future world in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, are in the same situation. By the attractive tone and voice, the author emphasizes their depressed relationship and makes it unforgettable for the audience. Specifically, from the view of their relationship, we can see the reflection of our modern world nowadays, where communication and feelings are replaced …show more content…

After Guy comes back home from an interesting conversation with Clarisse Mcclellan, he finds his empty and dark room where "his wife stretched on the bed, uncovered and cold" (12). The first time we, the readers, meet Mildred, she is in an emergency case, committing suicide by sleeping pills. Although she claims that the interactive shows keep her happy and denies for taking the pills, but it might be understood that the TV clowns, the third wall TV distracts her from her real life and nearly leads her to death by a drug overdose. Moreover, her abnormally white skin and chemically burnt hair represent the demands for women 's diet and artificial beauty in the society she is living. Mildred is obsessed with watching television and listening to the Seashell all day, same as everyone else in this world. In other words, she lives a shallow life with the obsession for TV programs and neglects her family. Besides, by saying some meaningless and random lines such as "I think that 's fine" or "I 'll sure do" (20), Mildred asks Guy to buy her a fourth-wall TV, which is 1/3 of her husband 's annual salary, just for the sake of her greater immersion in the show. The TV programs are not …show more content…

We - as the audience - can understand clearly by the scene when Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Phelps visit her. In my opinion, this scene is very important in terms of the changes in Montag. He realizes that his wife - same as the others - does not support him. She is even against him in his war to fight for books and knowledge. Mildred suggests talking about politics to "please Guy". Nevertheless, this conversation is extremely awkward and ridiculous for both Guy Montag and the audience. The three women all favor the tall and nice looking guy, Winston Noble,- over the fat and ugly man, known as Hubert Hoag, for the president select. They focus on what 's on the outside, not the inside. They focus on another 's appearance to judge them, not on their achievements. However, they are not aware of what the government is being run - a "fake democracy" with no knowledge and giving no choices for people. This leads Montag to call them "Monsters talking about monsters" (98) - the monsters of foolishness and judgments. Afterward, Montag reads the poem "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold as their request. It is very necessary to know the reasons why Ray Bradbury chose this poem to represent his ideas and what are the similarities between Fahrenheit 451 and Dover Beach. Arnold 's poem was written for his beloved wife on their honeymoon, reflected his frustration with the modernization and

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