"It’s perpetual motion; the thing man wanted to invent but never did...it’s a mystery...its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences...clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, practical."

Fahrenheit 451

By: Ray Bradbury

Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand, pg. 94-110

Part Three: Burning Bright, pg. 113-165

Don't judge a book by its cover...

 The Sieve and the Sand

   The scene begins as Montag withdraws money from his account to pay Faber. The country has begun mobilizing for war. The country is an atomic crisis. Faber begins to read the book of Job to Montag. Encouraged, Montag heads home only to find Mildred with her "TV family" and friends -- Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles. He attempts to engage the three women in conversation...and quickly becomes angered by their lack of values. For example, he asked the women their thoughts on voting in a presidential election. Their typical answer included the man's appearance on, you guessed it, television. Montag breaks out his poetry book and reads Dover Beach to the women. The women become emotional and even angered by such actions -- Montag wishes others could see and know what he sees and knows. I believe this is another turning point for Montag. It opens his eyes to the world that is actually around him. Mildred returns to her bedroom, and Montag quickly discovers that Millie has been burning his books -- one by one. He plots to rehide them in the backyard...soon, he is consumed with guilt for upsetting Millie and her friends. This shows his self identity and emotion for personal issues that most in this futuristic society don't practice and understand. He begins to discover self doubt. Are THEY in the right to just focus on pleasure in life? Yes, if there was no war and all was right with the world. But those realities call for detention. Montag heads back to the fire station for the first time since his leave of absence. Faber, in his radio ear piece, scolds and consoles him along the way. Beatty welcomes Montag after his "period of folly." One of my favorite quotes, that I hope to retain in my memory, was at this point of the novel -- Faber says, "Don't be afraid of mistakes, as they sharpen the mind." This holds so much meaning to me, for, as the saying goes, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. At the end of Part Two, Montag discovers his house on fire... 

Burning Bright

As Montag gazes at Clarisse's empty house, his empty eyes give way to his innermost being. Beatty soon assumes (under correct pretenses) that Montag has fallen into Clarisse's influence. Nevertheless, Beatty berates him for it. Upon arrival of the Montag residence, Mildred rushes out of the home, suitcase in hand, headed for a taxi. Beatty orders Montag to burn the house with his flame thrower -- how INsincere and emotionless is that...Beatty has always weirded (is that a word?) me out. Beatty also warns Montag that the Mechanical Hound will be on the watch for him should he attempt escape. Of course, Montag torches all of the home, and Beatty places him under arrest. Beatty discovers Montag's ear piece, to which he converses with Faber, and strikes Montag on the head. He continues to degrade Montag by quoting literary works...but Montag throws his flame thrower at Beatty, and he turns to a crisp. What. A. Relief.

The Mechanical Hound injected anesthetic into Montag's leg, but numb Montag was eager to escape. He seeked his four hidden books in the backyard he had hid once before. He discovered a seashell radio, only to find out that the police are on a mass search for him. War has officially been declared for the country. Montag begins to cross the street but is almost hit by a speeding car. He ponders -- could these kids be the same ones how killed Clarisse? After perishing such a thought, Montag creeps into co-workers houses to hide books. He visits with Faber once more, and Faber makes plans for Montag to take the old railroad tracks and meet him one day in St. Louis to meet a retired printer. the Mechanical Hound is out on the hunt for Montag. Montag tracks the Hound by glancing in people's windows of their TV parlors to catch the news reports. The Hound hesitates at Faber's house but passes through. An all call to action was televised, stating for a ten count, neighbor to neighbor search for Montag. He makes it to the river before anyone began to search. After wading the current, Montag washes ashore in the countryside. Here's where my favorite part begins...He feels a strong sense of Clarisse's presence, assuming she has been there before. He stumbles upon the track which will soon lead him to a fire with five men sitting. The leader of the group, Granger, invites Montag and says that they have been expecting him, for they have been watching the chase on TV. The men were neat and clean, yet homeless....hmmmm, that's strange. They contain considerable technology, too. Even stranger. Granger gives colorless fluid to Montag to cover his scent from the MH. A strange part, in my opinion, occurred as the scapegoat of an innocent man died in Montag's place. Granger provided great comic relief to Montag (who felt distraught) when he said, "Welcome back to life." These former professors and intellectuals saw Montag as their "back up copy" of the book of Ecclesiastes. Finally! His reading and love for literature has been validated by someone!

I loved Granger's character. His motives through the end of the novel were enouraging. He stated that he and his group (of thousands) are waiting for humanity to become ready for books again so that they can be of some use to the world. If only...

He also describes how to always remember -- that books are not important in themselves but only as repositories of knowledge, confident in man's determination to save what is worth saving. Montag is perplexed and analyzes the men's faces. They laugh at his blank stares and tell him not to judge a book by its cover. Clever, huh? Very fitting...

Montag thinks of his wife Mildred...he left her, yet doesn't miss her at all. He thinks of her untimely death and is not saddened by the thought. Granger, with consoling words tells a story of his grandfather's death and also of his wisdom. He says, "When people change even a small part of the world thoughtfully and deliberately, they leave behind enough of their souls to enable other people to mourn them properly." Well said, in my opinion.

Suddenly, jets flash over the city. Somehow, I had forgotten that the country was under nuclear warfare. The jets drop bombs, and the city is vaporized by the explosion. The men were knocked flat by the shockwave. Internally, Montag is torn. He thinks of Millie again -- thinks of her dying -- and realizes where he met her...in Chicago. Earlier in the novel, the two argued over personal matters like this. He was in disbelief at his lack of knowledge on personal memories in life. He began repeating the book of Ecclesiastes to himself.

Granger symbolically compares mankind to a phoenix, rising again and again from its own ashes. He tells the men that they will need to build a mirror factory to take a looooong look at themselves. And as the book closes, the men head upriver to help the survivors rebuild.

How interesting! This book has so much symbolism -- like the mirror, as it compares to self understanding. Several paradoxes were displayed throughout and religious references were a heavy influence. I also loved Bradbury's use of animal and nature imagery to convey this futuristic novel.

 

"...the temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns..."

Fahrenheit 451

By: Ray Bradbury

Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander, pg. 3-68

Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand, pg.71-93

Eager to begin this book (that I've heard so much about), I flipped the novel open...there, I found this quote: "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." Penned by Juan Ramon Jimenez, these words are ambitious, daring, and encouraging. Little did I know -- it set the tone for the story to ensue...

In the first sections of this futuristic American society novel, I learned that the value of books lies in the detailed awareness of the life that they contain. This means that one needs not only books but also the leisure to read them and the freedom to act upon those ideas in life.

The Hearth and the Salamander

Guy Montag, the protagonist cleverly named after a paper manufacturing company (ironic, huh), is a fireman in charge of burning books in this grim, objective society. He wears a black uniform with a salamander on the arm and a "phoenix disc" on his chest. Late one night, he meets a new neighbor, seventeen year old Clarisse, who is fascinated by him. She goes on to tell Montag the original nature and duty of a fireman. In disbelief, Montag finds Clarisse peculiar in her family interactions and strolls down the street. Such matters are illegal in this society, afterall. He becomes enthralled by her incredible power of identification, perceptive observances, and unorthodoxed lifestyle. To challenge Montag's character, Clarisse asks him if he is happy, and then, she disappears. This strikes his innermost, trembling thoughts...a real turning point in Montag's life.

Montag is not used to discussing personal matters and is disturbed by the scene that had just taken place. He finds his wife in bed, overdosed on sleeping pills and calls the hospital to replace her poison blood with fresh. A common symbol throughout the novel, blood represents repressed soul and instinctive self. The next morning, his wife Mildred denies her suicide attempt. Montag goes out for work, only to find Clarisse standing outside, catching raindrops in her mouth. One of my favorite parts of the book is when she tells Montag that one is in love if rubbing a dandlion under the chin leaves pollen behind. She tries it on Montag, yet, nothing is left behind. Clarisse can see Montag's embarrassment and states she must go to visit her psychiatrist because of her "lack of sociability" and "dangerous independent thought habits." After seeing her depart, Montag begins catching raindrops in his mouth.

After that fateful day, Montag begins visiting with Clarisse more and more outside after work. Montag begins challenging the ability and motive of a fireman more and more...he asks Captain Beatty about it. Beatty claims that in 1790, Benjamin Franklin imposed the fire department in hopes of ridding the country of English influence in literature. (This was odd to me...not exactly how I remembered history. But that's just my opinion.) In the next scene, the department is sent to a book burning in an old building. There, an old woman refuses to flee, and although Montag persuades her otherwise, she strikes a match, and the house goes up in flames with her.

That night, Montag tucked away a book from the fire...placing it in secret underneath his pillow. At this point, he hasn't encountered Clarisse in over four days. He askes Mildred about her, who then describes that Clarisse was hit by a car and killed. After the two argue much over personal issues, Captain Beatty arrives to check on Montag. He tells Montag that everyone goes through the "problem," challenging and relating to the history of the profession. During this part, to me, Beatty's monologue was difficult to follow. It was as if he were scatter-brained. He describes why reading became less popular -- due to photography, film, and television, making it possible to pressure for information in quick, digestible, visual forms. The spread of literacy grew in standard and competition. Also, "minorities" and special interest groups thought books were objectionable and wanted to abandon all debate. While straightening up the house, Mildred discovers Montag's hidden book and attempts to burn it. Montag begs her to embark on this journey with him for 48 hours, seeking through the books together, in hopes of finding something to share with others. 

The Sieve and the Sand

Montag continues to spend the afternoon reading...meanwhile he thinks of Clarisse and her uniqueness. Although Mildred refuses to speak of the dead, she continues with Montag in his search. He isn't finding the answers he had hoped for, sooooo -- he sets out to find a teacher. He calls Faber, a professor he once met in the park. With Faber, Montag learns that it is not books but the meaning they contain that provides happiness. People in this futuristic society are living on flowers instead of good substantive dirt (media vs. literature). People are unwilling to accept the true basic realities and unpleasant aspects of life. Montag promotes an idea to Faber -- to plant books in homes of firemen to discredit and demolish the profession. Faber disagrees with the suggestion at first. But Montag threatens Faber by tearing out pages of his Bible...to which Faber quickly agrees.

So far -- the book is very interesting, displaying themes of censorship and knowledge vs. ignorance. I can't wait to read on and learn what happens next. Stay tuned...