Society 451
Buckley
Mildred is an example of the average person as she is self-centered, robotic, and unfeeling. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character is a fireman named Guy Montag. After he takes home a book that he was supposed to burn, he gets a “fever” and asks his wife, Mildred, to call the fire station for him. Before she does, however, Captain Beatty, the fire chief, comes to Montag’s house and gives him a lecture on the history of firemen and why they are needed in society. In his lecture, he describes society and how the average person thinks.
Firstly, Mildred is self-centered. She never pays attention to anything for long and acts on a whim. Mildred, in a way, is like a child. She thinks only for what she wants and neglects anyone else’s feelings. This fits with what Beatty says about how people feel about things like criticism. “People just want to be happy…They don’t want to read things that are thought provoking.” This tells how people only want to make themselves happy no matter how it hurts others around them. Additionally, if someone writes something pointing out someone else’s flaws or makes them feel bad, it is censored.
Next, Mildred is robotic. Society has been dumbed down as a result of the …show more content…
Society has become desensitized to things like death and violence. Mildred is always blissfully ignorant of the violence and crime around her. This is evident in that it took Mildred four days to even mention to Montag that Clarisse had died. When she did finally say something, her tone was uncaring. It was as if life means nothing to her. Captain Beatty even reinforces this by saying, “Funerals are unhappy and pagan? Eliminate them, too. Five minutes after a person is dead he’s on his way to the Big Flue, the Incinerators serviced by helicopters all over the country. Ten minutes after death a man’s a speck of black dust. Let’s not quibble over individuals with memoriam. Forget
Buckley
Mildred is an example of the average person as she is self-centered, robotic, and unfeeling. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character is a fireman named Guy Montag. After he takes home a book that he was supposed to burn, he gets a “fever” and asks his wife, Mildred, to call the fire station for him. Before she does, however, Captain Beatty, the fire chief, comes to Montag’s house and gives him a lecture on the history of firemen and why they are needed in society. In his lecture, he describes society and how the average person thinks.
Firstly, Mildred is self-centered. She never pays attention to anything for long and acts on a whim. Mildred, in a way, is like a child. She thinks only for what she wants and neglects anyone else’s feelings. This fits with what Beatty says about how people feel about things like criticism. “People just want to be happy…They don’t want to read things that are thought provoking.” This tells how people only want to make themselves happy no matter how it hurts others around them. Additionally, if someone writes something pointing out someone else’s flaws or makes them feel bad, it is censored.
Next, Mildred is robotic. Society has been dumbed down as a result of the …show more content…
Society has become desensitized to things like death and violence. Mildred is always blissfully ignorant of the violence and crime around her. This is evident in that it took Mildred four days to even mention to Montag that Clarisse had died. When she did finally say something, her tone was uncaring. It was as if life means nothing to her. Captain Beatty even reinforces this by saying, “Funerals are unhappy and pagan? Eliminate them, too. Five minutes after a person is dead he’s on his way to the Big Flue, the Incinerators serviced by helicopters all over the country. Ten minutes after death a man’s a speck of black dust. Let’s not quibble over individuals with memoriam. Forget