Society Exposed In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Two figures, both are molded into the human form, yet one is living and the other a mere mannequin. The very existence of these two figures can be differentiated by a sparkle of the eye, a meaningful expression, or a brewing mind. Standing next to the young and vibrant Clarisse McClellan, Mildred Montag appears to be shadow of human existence. In his dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses foil characters to emphases each distinct traits. Mildred Montag servers to show the reader the shallow lives of the futuristic population. The faults of society are shown through Mildred’s obsession with physical beauty, disconnection with the real world and inability to reflect upon her actions.

To start, Mildred demonstrates that members of

When Mildred asks Montag to buy another TV wall she states, “It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed”(20). Rather than concerning herself with the events of the outside world, Mildred only applies her mind to the fictional stories on the television screens in her parlor. Through her Television, Mildred interacts with her fictional family, and ignores her actual husband. While, Mildred is currently engaged in mass entertainment, a fourth wall would complete her separation from the rest of society. An enclosed room that surrounds Mildred with her fictional bliss is not a reprieve from society it is retreat from the actual problems in society. Mildred demonstrates society's eagerness to shelter themselves from the potentially painful

After waking from her failed attempt to commit suicide, Mildred has no recollection of the previous evening. Montag confronts his wife, saying, “‘You took all of the pills in your bottle last night,’”to which Mildred lacadelisally responds, “‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that’”(19). By denying her actions, Mildred makes no attempt to satisfy the gaps in her life which drove her to committing suicide. Every night, the hospital responds to overdoses by pumping the toxins from the patient's stomach. While they have cleansed the body of toxins, they ignore the patient's mind. After such a traumatic event, people need to reflect on their actions. As the hospital workers come to homes across the city every night to pump people’s stomachs, they are introduced to the people who fall into this cycle of suicide attempts. Symbolically, Bradbury uses a phoenix to demonstrate rebirth. It is natural for all things to fall apart, but from this debris mankind has the opportunity to reinvent itself, as many of the characters have. Only by questioning the deeper meaning is Montag, able to reinvent himself as a scholar, from his former role as a fireman. Because Mildred is incapable of learning or reflecting, she is given new life, and continues to waste it. Mildred shows the limitations of the populace through her inability to