Similarities Between Fahrenheit 451 And Guy Montag

Montag was a dynamic character who changed a lot throughout the story, impacting not only the people around him but the society he lived in as well. This change that shaped the course of the entire novel began when Montag met the strange Clarisse McClennan. She was a vital part of his transition from being a regular fireman who loved to see things burn, to someone who saw the flaws in their society. Clarisse had a huge impact on Montag. She helped him grow as a person by talking to him, asking uncomfortable questions, pointing out the beauty of the nature around them, helping him realize he didn’t love Mildred, and that he wasn’t happy with his life and just being genuinely interested in what he had to say.

Mildred is seen to be immensely emotionless and does not have an ounce of remorse in her body. When Montag brought up the topic of deaths, she would talk very nonchalant and was loose over the matter. Mildred is deemed to be empty inside. Her mind, emotions, and life all show to consist of nothing. This issue makes Montag question their relationship. He begins to wonder if the woman who he has been married to for ten years was truly the woman who he thought she was. For instance, Mildred did not even know where they met for the first time.

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.

Guy Montag, the main character in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, goes through a huge change in his life. He changes from a typical fireman who follows the laws, into a person who challenges the law. Montag wakes up from being numbed and realizes that he is unhappy. Montag 's wife, "Mildred", who is addicted to Television and radio, did not care about Montag 's feelings. However; Clarisse and Faber played a big role in Montag 's life. Montag is a metaphor for a numbed society and his courage is demonstrated as he wakes up and evolves into his real human self throughout the book.

Mildred as his wife represents the static character generalization through her euphoric lifestyle mirrored by television walls and her selfish tendencies. She is unwilling to change and so she is trapped within the societal struggle of “true living” and just existing. When questioned about their young neighbor Clarisse, she even absentmindedly states that she forgot to tell Montag four days ago that she was dead. If this wasn't cold enough she then shrugs off the death of the teen casually, showing further deterioration between herself and reality (Bradbury 44-45).

Clarisse’s and Mildred’s presence in Ray Bradbury's story Fahrenheit 451, gives the idea that both characters are alive but metaphorically dead by looking at their personalities and ways of being in their dystopian community and personal relationships. Clarisse and Mildred may have different personalities but they both share the same concept. Clarisse has a personality that does not exist within other people. She tends to point out on the real significance of life, which leaves characters in shock and confusion after interacting with her. As for Mildred and Montag’s relationship, Mildred shows lack of attention and love towards Montag. Mildred would pay attention more to her “family” and her friends instead of her marriage relationship. This gives Mildred the image that she is figuratively dead between her relationship with Montag. These figuratively dead characters lead to change Montag’s perspective.

Pages 1-32 - Guy Montag is a fireman at the fire department. Unlike regular firefighters, Guy and his co-workers are the ones to start fires. Guy is contempt with his life, at least until he meets Clarisse McClellan who changes his outlook on his current state of living. Clarisse makes Guy think deeper into what is going on around him. He realizes that he in fact is not happy with his wife Mildred, his job, or the way society acts.

In the midst of Montag’s self-discovery Millie was still willing to put her popularity status among her friends over her husband. After a confusing day of reading Mildred invited her friends over and allowed them to criticize him. “You’re nasty, Mr. Montag, you’re nasty!”(Bradbury 107). Rather than standing up for Montag she stood by her friends and later even turned him into the fire station. “Was it my wife who turned in the alarm? Beatty nodded”(Bradbury 117). Mildred was so heartless and disconnected to her real family she was willing to sell out her own husband without thinking of what would happen to Montag. As she left her home moments before its destruction the only thing she was upset about was her TV family. Mildred’s character perfectly represents the archetype of a cold wife as she is deceitful, unloving, materialistic, and

“That’s awful! ...Why should I read? What for?”(Bradbury, 73) Mildred hates the fact that her house and her ‘family’ would burn down if Beatty and the other firemen found out about Montag and his books. Mildred doesn’t understand why Montag wants to reason with her and what he finds so special in books. Mildred is a selfish woman who cares only about herself and her friends. As long as nothing happened to her ‘family’, she’d be fine.

When Montag returns home, he realizes that Mildred has burned a few of the books, which makes him protect them more. Mildred is a very careless and shallow person, while Montag is a very smart and thoughtful person and it is clearly shown throughout the

Mildred and Montag’s loyalty to the government vary in many ways. When it comes to new rules or policies that the government enforces, Mildred ask no questions. On the other hand, Montag questions why they start fires and how their organization originally started. Montag has a habit of getting into the routine of what the government tells them to do. He became so unaware of the severity of his action when he set his supervisor, Beatty, on fire and burns his supervisor to death. “Beatty flopped over and over and over, and at last twisted nin one himself like a charred wax doll and lay silent.” (Bradbury 113). At this point, Montag

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, is about a dystopian society that burns literature and everything and anything to keep the civilians distracted from the obstacles of life. Guy Montag is a citizen whose job is to burn down houses that contain literature, for books are illegal because the government says it causes controversy. His wife, Mildred, sits in front of the “parlor walls” with “seashells” in her ears and goes along mindlessly with society. Throughout the story Montag is influenced by people with minds of their own, whom help him think for himself.

In conclusion, Montag and Mildred is very different in not only one way it is way more than just one

Throughout pages 3-50 of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury creates two female characters, Mildred and Clarisse, which play a major role in the life of Guy Montag, a Fireman. Bradbury has many elements of both the women that affect Montag in his life as well as some elements that both Clarisse and Mildred relate and differ from one another.

Firstly, before one can understand how Mildred is misinterpreted, common misunderstandings have to be debunked. Because a single opinion of Mildred has become accepted as fact, any available information about her offers a one-sided, unflattering view, leaving little space for different interpretations. While popular reference sites often at least suggest that Mildred might not be entirely two-dimensional, they are closed to further exploration. Shmoop is the best example of this, referring to Mildred as “The epitome of the status-quo” (Shmoop Editorial Team) and “kind-of dumb” (Shmoop Editorial Team). These claims are easy to disprove. Despite her “stupidity”, when Montag goes off on a tangent that nearly exposes his book-harbouring to several guests, Mildred plans the same cover-up as Faber (a respected professor), except full seconds faster. This is exhibited in the following quote: