In today's world, everyone is expected to conform to society. In Ray Bradbury's novel, "heit 451", the character Mildred, wife of the protagonist Guy Montag, undergoes numerous addictions in her life, which hinders her pursuit of happiness and personal growth. Although her presence was minor, Mildred’s ignorance, addictive nature, and her conformance to societal norms show how the tendency to escape reality rather than confront it may result in broken connections and complete disregard for personal health.
Mildred's dismissal of reality is shown by her rejection of Montag's attempt to help her better understand the value of books. Mildred’s marriage is covered by a thick veil that obscures her vision, preventing her from seeing the real power …show more content…
Mildred has viewed drugs as a lifeline, despite their negative effects, for escaping her reality. Mildred’s continuous consumption of drugs has created an iron grip of addiction, putting her at risk of the potentially lethal force. One evening after Mildred had woken from an overdose, Montag had told her she had taken her whole bottle of pills. Mildred sees no problem in doing so, she goes as far as saying, “why would I do a thing like that”(Bradbury17). Mildred’s disregard for her near-death experience shows how she has become numb to the terrible impact of escapism through drugs. The media has been so normalized in their society that Mildred now seeks refuge within its embrace. While television provides her with short-lasting happiness and amusement, it casts a veil of deceit over her eyes, blinding her from the truth. Mildred prefers to stay blinded by this truth, since her “tv family” is able to talk to her, which allows her to think she’s a part of it. This significant influence on Mildred is her so-called "TV family". This family does not exist to the rest of the world, it is solely a figment of Mildred's imagination, which may be a result of her drug addiction. Her addiction is so noticeable that Montag, “.saw her leaning toward the great shimmering walls of color and motion where the family talked and talked and talked to her”. Mildred is no longer in the right state of
Mildred's dismissal of reality is shown by her rejection of Montag's attempt to help her better understand the value of books. Mildred’s marriage is covered by a thick veil that obscures her vision, preventing her from seeing the real power …show more content…
Mildred has viewed drugs as a lifeline, despite their negative effects, for escaping her reality. Mildred’s continuous consumption of drugs has created an iron grip of addiction, putting her at risk of the potentially lethal force. One evening after Mildred had woken from an overdose, Montag had told her she had taken her whole bottle of pills. Mildred sees no problem in doing so, she goes as far as saying, “why would I do a thing like that”(Bradbury17). Mildred’s disregard for her near-death experience shows how she has become numb to the terrible impact of escapism through drugs. The media has been so normalized in their society that Mildred now seeks refuge within its embrace. While television provides her with short-lasting happiness and amusement, it casts a veil of deceit over her eyes, blinding her from the truth. Mildred prefers to stay blinded by this truth, since her “tv family” is able to talk to her, which allows her to think she’s a part of it. This significant influence on Mildred is her so-called "TV family". This family does not exist to the rest of the world, it is solely a figment of Mildred's imagination, which may be a result of her drug addiction. Her addiction is so noticeable that Montag, “.saw her leaning toward the great shimmering walls of color and motion where the family talked and talked and talked to her”. Mildred is no longer in the right state of