Montag's Third Trial In 'Dover Beach'

Montag’s Wife, Mildred, is a negative influence on him, trying to push him away emotionally and physically. She does not know who she really is and lives in an illusionary world with her obsession of television shows and believing they are real. He is so confused because she tries to ignore it ever happened thinking about all the bad things; “fire, sleeping tablets, men disposable tissue, coattails, blow, wad, flush...Rain. The storm. The uncle laughing...The whole world pouring down..." (19). After this incident he looks at Mildred in a different light and is someone who he can’t relate to. Another way she separates herself from Montag is through her "family", which is a television show. Montag constantly asks Millie “[if that] family loves [her]… love [her] with all their heart and soul" (83). Her world isn’t based in reality; they are clearly on different paths. Hers is one of illusion and his is becoming that of a totally self-aware person. She blocks everything and everyone out that is around her and lives within the show. Mildred opens Montag 's eyes to the real world and shows him that most people are uncaring and narcissistic.

Mildred’s hand seemed to finally grab what Montag was hiding. She seemed amused by the shape, being so innocently confused, just like a little girl. She was surprised, and then shocked. Her mouth began to look as if she was forming a question…

When he started to think for himself Montag realized him and Mildred were not connected like husband and wife should be. Therefore, when Montag imagined Mildred’s death he suddenly started crying “not at death but at the thought of not crying at death…” (Bradbury 44). From this point on Montag could not be happy with Mildred even if he tried, just like Equality 7-2521 could not be happy without his tunnel and

This quotes tone, helps helps to establish the characterization of Montag, and how he sees things for what they are when others in this society do not. The characterization in this scene helps the reader to see Montag’s characterization. Montag’s tone to Mrs. Bowles helps to clarify how the society thinks. A normal person who had feelings would not move on as fast as she did with her first two husbands. It helps to characterize this societys numbness to emotions. Montag seeing this throughout not feeling any emotion towards his wife and her none back to him it is quite sad, no compassion anywhere. " 'And some day we'll remember so much that we'll build the biggest goddamn steamshovel in history and dig the biggest grave of all

Phelps, whose interests’ in their “parlor walls”, eventually lead Montag, to engage in his conflict of becoming more social with the people around him. In this case, Montag reads a poem called “Dover Beach”, to Mildred’s friends resulting in Mrs. Bowles becoming enraged at Montag, “Mrs. Bowles stood up and glared at Montag. ‘You see? I knew it, that’s what I wanted to prove! I knew it would happen! I’ve always said, poetry and tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feelings, poetry and sickness, all that mush!’ ” (97). This quote demonstrates how Mrs. Bowles’s perspective on poetry and literature is much more negative than positive. In addition, this relates to the novel’s theme of censorship, because an absence of books can make people oppose against literature. Most importantly, this relates to Montag’s conflict of how he is struggling to start conversations of books being praised, rather than being deplored. Thus, Montag learns how to become more confrontive and interactive with people rather than being distant

Faber says, “So now you see why books are hated and feared?They show the pores in the face of life”(79). Montag decides to work with Faber and become a revolutionary even though it may be risky. Faber decides to give Montag an earpiece so that he can hear what is going on in Montag’s life and they can communicate secretly. Montag takes the earpiece and goes home. When home he finds Mildred and her friends watching the television. To Montag this seems like a good time to bring out all the books in his home. Montag was trying to be a revolutionary and change Mildred and her friends into believing that books were actually fine but it backfired on him. When he decides to read a poem to the girls he gets a negative response. One of the friends, Mrs.Phelps begins to cry, the other friend Mrs.Bowles says, “I’ve always said, poetry tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feelings”(97). Their whole society was avoiding books because they provoke real and raw emotions that they think they are not able to handle, but they could be if they tried. Montag changed his outlook and was trying to help others, but their minds were not developed enough to

Bradbury uses Montag’s view of Mildred’s characterization to convey that Mildred exemplifies a bad character with her obsession with technology and consequential treatment with Montag. Mildred’s decision to prioritize her self desire for technology damages her relationship with her husband, Montag. Montag meets with an english professor named Faber who also believes that books need to be preserved. They have a huge discussion about how they should get everyone aware about the books. Montag is frustrated because “nobody listens any more.

When walking home from another duty as a fireman Montag stumbles upon his new neighbor, Clarisse McClellan. The two engage in philosophical conversation, mainly driven by the young, “socially ill” neighbor. Before heading into his home, Clarisse asks Montag a question. She asks if he is happy. He laughs at the question at first but after looking at Clarisse’s bright, cheerful home, Montag realizes he may not be as happy as he thinks he is while standing in his cold bedroom. A metaphor describes his feelings as Bradbury writes, “He wore his happiness like a mask and the girl had run off across the lawn with the mask and there was no way of going to knock on her door and ask for it back,” (12). Then as matters couldn't get worse, he discovers his wife has attempted suicide shortly after accidentally kicking an empty sleeping pill bottle on the floor. From that moment on he continues to refer to this incident, wondering why his wife took the pills in the first place. Even after calling for help and saving her life, Mildred continues to bother Montag with distrust and ignorance. She even reports Montag’s interest in books to the fire department, leading Montag to completely change the way he thinks about their

For example, this event takes place after Montag had revealed the book to Mildred that he got from the woman's home. “‘You weren’t there, you didn’t see,” he said. “‘ There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing” (51). This quote shows that Montag is willing to understand why the woman decided to stay in the house. He is also realizing that there must be something important in the books and foreshadows that Montag will change as a person for the better, while Mildred does not care about the books and thinks that the woman deserved to die it also shows that she is a shallow person. The author did this to show a critical moment in which Montag will start making decisions for himself and no longer follow blindly and will stop being a good person that stands by and does nothing. Mildred as the opposite shows that she will always be the same person, someone who is apathetic,simplistic, out of touch with reality, and not inclined to change for the better. This is important for the readers to know seeing as this is a moment that will foreshadow the future showing that a character like Montag stuck following society's restricting rules

In conclusion, there are several scenes in the novel which depict the above meanings. However, the ones written above describe this the strongest. Overall, Mildred Montag symbolizes the empty, unoriginal person who is so common in this society. This is because of the many efforts to end all sadness, but, ironically, it resulted in many minds that are distorted and lied to. Because of

I think that this part is very realistic because this is what fugitives think about when they have a moment of piece. Pg. 134 Observation: Interestingly enough, Montag seems to miss Mildred even though he didn't love her. This shows some hope for society.

Montag feels at the begining of the novel that the communication is greatly lacking in society. People are becoming very ignorant and turning reallife realationships aside. They now turn to their "tv families". One victim of neglecting real life realtionships is Mildred, Montag's wife. Montag truley hates this. "Nobody listens any more. I can't talk to the walls because they're yelling at me. I can't talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it'll make sense. And I want you to teach me to understand what I read." (2.125). Montag hopes that his wife and him can rejoin their connection through the books, but is sadly wrong and must find some one else, Faber.

Another incident that stayed in Montag 's mind is the old women who set her self and her books on fire. However, Montag tried stopping her by telling her that the books were not worth her life. Before she burned herself, Montag took one of her books and kept it. At that time Montag did not think about what did the old lady burned herself with the books, he did not think about it might be the value and morals that books hold to teach is. The old lady knew the importance of these books and what do they have, so she preferred to burn herself with them, and not watch the firemen burn them, who do not even know the importance of books. But they do know that books are unreal and there is so importance of them, plus they are against the law!

The guilt begins to eat away at Montag's conscience, and illness overtakes him. Back in his home, he reports this event to his wife Mildred, expressing his opinions on the matter: "There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing" (Bradbury 51).

In the first half of the book Bradbury demonstrates the theme through showing the emotions of others regarding to other people, focusing on Mildred in particular. In the beginning of the book Montag runs into Clarisse, a person who is not like the rest and cares about the deeper meanings. He grew fond of her, later to find out that he would never see her again, since she was dead. The news was given by Mildred in a way that seemed unpresented sympathy, “‘Four days ago. I’m not sure. But I think she’s dead. The family moved out anyway. I don’t know. But I think she’s dead,’” (44). Mildred delivers the news late and without any sympathy, instead she is unsure if her information is true. She was ignorant to how Montag felt about Clarisse; numb to the pain and this was only a product of society and their need to hide this stress in order to preserve contentment. For instance they programmed behaviors into the different ‘families’ that other homeowners own, to normalize happier emotions while sadder, melancholic emotions were discouraged to the point that it was a surprise that people felt this way in any other setting than the presence of an illegal action. This false idea of what is human became