Until the end of the novel, Montag has a strong feeling of emptiness. What or
who do you think is the main source of Montag's emptiness? Why do you
think this? Explain.
In response to your question Madison, after reading this book, I have come to the reflection that one individual is not causing Montag’s emptiness, but rather the society as a whole. Throughout the course of the book everyone that Montag is surrounded by is lifeless which then reflects in his mood and actions. Montag never gets the opportunity to discover other perspectives on the world he lives in until he escapes. When Montag finally separates himself from the society and takes a moment to reflect on life he reveals, “He stood breathing, and the more he breathed the land in, the more he was filled up with all the details of the land. He was not empty. There was more than enough here to fill him” (Bradbury 144). Based on this you can till that the people in his life were forming this emptiness, for example his wife. “…a silly empty man near a silly empty woman…” (Bradbury 44). “Happiness is important…I’m not happy, I’m not happy” (Bradbury 65). He was never able to experience this “happiness” everyone was trying to create. Everyone was trying so hard to form the perfect world, but remained oblivious to everything right in front of them. When out in the open all alone he realizes the true beauty of life, he realizes all that the world holds. The society was bringing him down; by escaping and leaving them he has found the true meaning to life and is no longer empty, he sees a purpose to life, something he was never shown before. Based on the information presented in this book I can say that all the members of Montag’s community were the main source of Montag’s emptiness.
I think that there are many people in Montag’s life along with countless different experiences that he has gone through that have caused Montag to feel empty. I think the biggest factor that leads to Montag’s feeling of emptiness is his job. Since he met Clarisse, Montag has started to realize that what he does for a living isn’t right. Knowing this about his job takes a large toll on Montag mentally and emotionally. “’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 the burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing’” (Bradbury 48). Saying this to his wife shows that Montag is having a real conflict with himself about his job and the direction his life is heading. Along with his job causing him to feel empty I think that the society that Montag lives in makes him feel empty. From the inferences that I have made based on the text, I think that the people who live in this society don’t do much thinking. “’I bet I know something else you don’t. There’s dew on the grass in the morning.’ He suddenly couldn’t remember if he had known this or not… ‘And if you look… there’s a man in the moon’” (Bradbury 7). The people who live in this society are so caught up in their technology that they have forgotten to look at the simple things and just think a bit. To me it seems that they just sit and watch their very large T.V.’s all day. A person who lives like this is simply just existing, they aren’t really living and experiencing life. So in a way I agree with Pardeep that the members of his society are making him feel empty because of the way that they live but I also think that his job plays a large role in making him feel empty.
I agree with the both of you, but more towards Andrea’s comment. Andrea brought up a thoughtful analysis of how Montag’s job is a huge impact regarding his state of emptiness. I completely agree with this statement. In the exposition of the novel, Montag enjoys his job and it brings him pleasure, but as the rising action takes place and moves along towards the climax, he realizes how immoral his job is and that it has a significant impact on his feeling of emptiness. For example, on page 15 Bradbury illustrates how Montag, after his encounter with Clarisse, is becoming less happy and emptier after he reflects upon his life and his job, “The whole world pouring down. The fire gushing up in a volcano. All rushing on down around in a spouting roar and rivering stream toward morning. ‘I don’t know anything anymore,’ he said, and let a sleep lozenge dissolve on his tongue” (Bradbury 15). You both brought up a good argument of saying how society plays a big impact on Montag’s emptiness-I completely agree. Montag has spent the majority of his adulthood with his wife Mildred, who is a common stereotype of the society Montag lives in. Through the character of Millie the author illustrates how the people in the novel are so blind sighted by the law and by advanced technology, it makes them presumably empty. The author makes a distinctive point throughout the book by describing that the characters, except for a select few, are just existing and not truly living. An example of this is on page 108 when Montag figured out Millie sent in the alarm, "'Mildred, you didn't put in the alarm!' She shoved the valise in the waiting beetle, climbed in, and sat mumbling, 'Poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now…'" (Bradbury). Through plot and dialogue, Bradbury shows how Mildred is so caught up in technology and obeying the law she doesn’t know the true meaning of living and therefore life. This is the overall cause of Montag’s feeling of emptiness because after he isolates himself from society and his wife (as Pardeep mentioned) he realizes that he can find a way to not be empty anymore and that the world is filled with plenty of things to “fill him up.”
In response to your question Madison, after reading this book, I have come to the reflection that one individual is not causing Montag’s emptiness, but rather the society as a whole. Throughout the course of the book everyone that Montag is surrounded by is lifeless which then reflects in his mood and actions. Montag never gets the opportunity to discover other perspectives on the world he lives in until he escapes. When Montag finally separates himself from the society and takes a moment to reflect on life he reveals, “He stood breathing, and the more he breathed the land in, the more he was filled up with all the details of the land. He was not empty. There was more than enough here to fill him” (Bradbury 144). Based on this you can till that the people in his life were forming this emptiness, for example his wife. “…a silly empty man near a silly empty woman…” (Bradbury 44). “Happiness is important…I’m not happy, I’m not happy” (Bradbury 65). He was never able to experience this “happiness” everyone was trying to create. Everyone was trying so hard to form the perfect world, but remained oblivious to everything right in front of them. When out in the open all alone he realizes the true beauty of life, he realizes all that the world holds. The society was bringing him down; by escaping and leaving them he has found the true meaning to life and is no longer empty, he sees a purpose to life, something he was never shown before. Based on the information presented in this book I can say that all the members of Montag’s community were the main source of Montag’s emptiness.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are many people in Montag’s life along with countless different experiences that he has gone through that have caused Montag to feel empty. I think the biggest factor that leads to Montag’s feeling of emptiness is his job. Since he met Clarisse, Montag has started to realize that what he does for a living isn’t right. Knowing this about his job takes a large toll on Montag mentally and emotionally. “’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 the burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing’” (Bradbury 48). Saying this to his wife shows that Montag is having a real conflict with himself about his job and the direction his life is heading. Along with his job causing him to feel empty I think that the society that Montag lives in makes him feel empty. From the inferences that I have made based on the text, I think that the people who live in this society don’t do much thinking. “’I bet I know something else you don’t. There’s dew on the grass in the morning.’ He suddenly couldn’t remember if he had known this or not… ‘And if you look… there’s a man in the moon’” (Bradbury 7). The people who live in this society are so caught up in their technology that they have forgotten to look at the simple things and just think a bit. To me it seems that they just sit and watch their very large T.V.’s all day. A person who lives like this is simply just existing, they aren’t really living and experiencing life. So in a way I agree with Pardeep that the members of his society are making him feel empty because of the way that they live but I also think that his job plays a large role in making him feel empty.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the both of you, but more towards Andrea’s comment. Andrea brought up a thoughtful analysis of how Montag’s job is a huge impact regarding his state of emptiness. I completely agree with this statement. In the exposition of the novel, Montag enjoys his job and it brings him pleasure, but as the rising action takes place and moves along towards the climax, he realizes how immoral his job is and that it has a significant impact on his feeling of emptiness. For example, on page 15 Bradbury illustrates how Montag, after his encounter with Clarisse, is becoming less happy and emptier after he reflects upon his life and his job, “The whole world pouring down. The fire gushing up in a volcano. All rushing on down around in a spouting roar and rivering stream toward morning. ‘I don’t know anything anymore,’ he said, and let a sleep lozenge dissolve on his tongue” (Bradbury 15). You both brought up a good argument of saying how society plays a big impact on Montag’s emptiness-I completely agree. Montag has spent the majority of his adulthood with his wife Mildred, who is a common stereotype of the society Montag lives in. Through the character of Millie the author illustrates how the people in the novel are so blind sighted by the law and by advanced technology, it makes them presumably empty. The author makes a distinctive point throughout the book by describing that the characters, except for a select few, are just existing and not truly living. An example of this is on page 108 when Montag figured out Millie sent in the alarm, "'Mildred, you didn't put in the alarm!' She shoved the valise in the waiting beetle, climbed in, and sat mumbling, 'Poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now…'" (Bradbury). Through plot and dialogue, Bradbury shows how Mildred is so caught up in technology and obeying the law she doesn’t know the true meaning of living and therefore life. This is the overall cause of Montag’s feeling of emptiness because after he isolates himself from society and his wife (as Pardeep mentioned) he realizes that he can find a way to not be empty anymore and that the world is filled with plenty of things to “fill him up.”
ReplyDelete