The theme of self-destruction is prominent through 'The Sieve and the Sand'. We come to know Mildred through the eyes of her husband as, "a wax doll melting in its own heat." By using the familiar images of heat and fire, Bradbury presents Mildred as igniting her own self destruction by choosing to ignore and abandon reality rather than seek out truth, as her husband aspires to do. And, despite his intentions, we watch Montag display a self-destructive streak when he insists, despite Faber's insistent advice to stay quiet, on engaging Mildred and her friends by reading poetry to them. The theme of self-destruction is also visited during Montag and Faber's initial conversation in Faber's apartment, when Faber speaks of the proposed plot to undermine the authority of firemen by planting books in their homes by saying, "the salamander devours its tail." I loved that quote; it stands for so many different things, has so many implications.
At work, Montag deals with a bombardment of quotes from Beatty, degrading books and their intellectual value. Meanwhile, Faber speaks in Montag's ear via radio, urging him to bite his tongue and not to accept Beatty's arguments. This scene, in which we can almost picture the angel Faber and the devil Beatty competing for Montag's sympathy and attention, illustrates the ongoing struggle between good and evil that has, until now, been building in Montag's mind.
In keeping with its frazzled tone, 'The Sieve and the Sand' ends in a climax: the arrival of the firemen at Montag's house. At this point, Montag is void of his former life. Because he deviated from the norm, choosing books and truth over the illusion of happiness he once embraced, Montag will lose his home and livelihood. But it is my hope and belief that he will find redemption, as well as the lifestyle he desires, so long as he isn't killed in Part 3.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Response To Part Three Of Fahrenheit 451
Wow. What an ending. I can't say I didn't see some of it coming, but I didn't expect this book to end on a bright note. I earned a new respect for Montag during the last 50 pages. I thought burning his boss was a little unnecessary, but I'm not unable to understand why he did it. However, my loathing for Mildred still stands. She turned her own husband in, put him in the position of burning THEIR house and/or being killed. She is one of the most hopeless characters I have ever read about.
I like what this book stands for: redemption, perseverance, devotion, dreams, individuality, the influence of technology, and the importance of intellect. I've found that it's hard to find books that are bold enough to write about societies such as the one depicted in 451. I'm sure they're out there, I just have yet to find them. Therefore, I have a very intense respect for this book and what it represents.
There are parallels that can be drawn between 451 and modern society. It is true that, through technology, people appear to be detaching themselves emotionally. On video games, people shoot each other, run over people, and it amuses them. That's a scary thought.
If I were to be a character in this novel, I think I would have been Clarisse. I would have been that girl that was different-- whose mind did not comform to the society she lived in. More than any other event in the book, Clarisse's death sent a wave of sorrow through my heart. For me, she was a symbol of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Who is the symbol of hope for modern society? I do not have an answer. However, I will say that I will strive to be the Clarisse of my society, minus getting brutally run over by kids hoping to cause injury for sport.
I like what this book stands for: redemption, perseverance, devotion, dreams, individuality, the influence of technology, and the importance of intellect. I've found that it's hard to find books that are bold enough to write about societies such as the one depicted in 451. I'm sure they're out there, I just have yet to find them. Therefore, I have a very intense respect for this book and what it represents.
There are parallels that can be drawn between 451 and modern society. It is true that, through technology, people appear to be detaching themselves emotionally. On video games, people shoot each other, run over people, and it amuses them. That's a scary thought.
If I were to be a character in this novel, I think I would have been Clarisse. I would have been that girl that was different-- whose mind did not comform to the society she lived in. More than any other event in the book, Clarisse's death sent a wave of sorrow through my heart. For me, she was a symbol of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Who is the symbol of hope for modern society? I do not have an answer. However, I will say that I will strive to be the Clarisse of my society, minus getting brutally run over by kids hoping to cause injury for sport.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Response to Part One of Fahrenheit 451
I'm not sure what to think about this novel, honestly. I've read several dystopian novels and short stories before, but never one this well-thought-out. The character development, imagery, and overall emotion in the text is fantastic, even if it is a little bleak.
Montag appears to be the struggling I-want-to-change-the-world character, and I can't help but feel for him a bit because the majority of his ideas are rejected. He doesn't want to live an ignorant, distructive, TV-driven life. However, Montag is far from perfect. He comes across as self-obsessed at times, and he is often very easily influenced. But what I find most concerning is his occassional detachment from himself; there are times when he, himself, does not even know what he's doing or why he's doing them. He sets his boss on fire almost unconsciously. Let me repeat that: He sets his boss on fire and has no conscious thoughts about what he's doing. It is obvious that this is his way of expressing his unhappiness and thirst for rebellion, but for goodness sake, that was a very morbid way of going about things.
I have officially come to despise a character: Mildred. There are times when I've been reading and I've found myself gripping the edges of my book, knuckles white and anger surging through my veins. She cares for no one. She feels nothing. She is sadistic and cold and impossibly selfish. I get that she has buried her emotions infinitely deeply within herself, and that in doing such, she was probably just acting out of self preservation, but I still can't bring myself to find any good in her or her soap opera family.
So, all of this being said, I conclude that, thus far, I am quite enjoying this novel, even if the characters are hard to handle at times. I hope this lasts through part 2 as well. I'm eager to see where Montag's craving for rebellion/revenge lands him.
Interesting quote that can be applied to dytopias:
“The greatest guilt of today is that of people who accept collectivism by moral default; the people who seek protection from the necessity of taking a stand, by refusing to admit to themselves the nature of that which they are accepting; the people who support plans specifically designed to achieve serfdom, but hide behind the empty assertion that they are lovers of freedom, with no concrete meaning attached to the word; the people who believe that the content of ideas need not be examined, that principles need not be defined, and that facts can be eliminated by keeping one's eyes shut. They expect, when they find themselves in a world of bloody ruins and concentration camps, to escape moral responsibility by wailing: "But I didn't mean this!”
-Ayn Rand
Montag appears to be the struggling I-want-to-change-the-world character, and I can't help but feel for him a bit because the majority of his ideas are rejected. He doesn't want to live an ignorant, distructive, TV-driven life. However, Montag is far from perfect. He comes across as self-obsessed at times, and he is often very easily influenced. But what I find most concerning is his occassional detachment from himself; there are times when he, himself, does not even know what he's doing or why he's doing them. He sets his boss on fire almost unconsciously. Let me repeat that: He sets his boss on fire and has no conscious thoughts about what he's doing. It is obvious that this is his way of expressing his unhappiness and thirst for rebellion, but for goodness sake, that was a very morbid way of going about things.
I have officially come to despise a character: Mildred. There are times when I've been reading and I've found myself gripping the edges of my book, knuckles white and anger surging through my veins. She cares for no one. She feels nothing. She is sadistic and cold and impossibly selfish. I get that she has buried her emotions infinitely deeply within herself, and that in doing such, she was probably just acting out of self preservation, but I still can't bring myself to find any good in her or her soap opera family.
So, all of this being said, I conclude that, thus far, I am quite enjoying this novel, even if the characters are hard to handle at times. I hope this lasts through part 2 as well. I'm eager to see where Montag's craving for rebellion/revenge lands him.
Interesting quote that can be applied to dytopias:
“The greatest guilt of today is that of people who accept collectivism by moral default; the people who seek protection from the necessity of taking a stand, by refusing to admit to themselves the nature of that which they are accepting; the people who support plans specifically designed to achieve serfdom, but hide behind the empty assertion that they are lovers of freedom, with no concrete meaning attached to the word; the people who believe that the content of ideas need not be examined, that principles need not be defined, and that facts can be eliminated by keeping one's eyes shut. They expect, when they find themselves in a world of bloody ruins and concentration camps, to escape moral responsibility by wailing: "But I didn't mean this!”
-Ayn Rand
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