When it comes to emotional desensitization, Montag's counterpart in Fahrenheit 451 is Mildred. The wife of Montag, Mildred, is totally consumed by her "parlor walls,” large television screens, and the naive world they portray. She is unable to hold meaningful conversations or emotionally connect with others because she is preoccupied with these screens. On the other side, Montag starts to ponder the culture they inhabit and finally starts to feel his emotions more. Throughout the dystopian novel, Ray Bradbury brilliantly demonstrates the act of emotional desensitization by contrasting Mildred and Montag to one another through their actions and thoughts.
The difference between Mildred and Montag is most evident in their contradicting thoughts
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Their technology is used in different ways such as when Mildred is described as having “the seashells shoved in her ear” (Bradbury). while Montag has them in to communicate with Faber as he asks him “ Would you like me to read you something” (Bradbury 89). As well as when Faber tells Montag that he “will read something that you remember” (Bradbury 89). This shows that although technology is a big issue in this society, it is not what has caused it to fail. People choose to do what they want in this society and they choose to be selfish. They choose to ignore others. And they choose to become emotionally isolated. Mildred is using technology for herself, while Montag would like to become educated to help others. He knows that there are others that are like him, and he could possibly help them. However, when Mildred is portrayed as Montag’s foil and as a representation of how society has been reduced to a bunch of mindless clowns, Ray Bradbury portrays the element of emotional