At the beginning of the novel, Montag thinks that their relationship is just fine; in fact, he declares to himself that he is perfectly happy. However, when he gets home that first night, to find Mildred comatose after a suicide attempt, then he starts to wonder if he and Mildred really are happy. Then, when Clarisse pulls the dandelion "you're not in love with anyone" stunt, he is even more startled. He realizes that he can't even remember when he and Mildred first met. He realizes that they don't really have a relationship at all--he goes to work, she watches her television, and they don't talk. They don't connect.
Later, when Montag tries to drag Mildred into reading books with him, their distance is even more apparent. Millie is irritated, wanting to go do her own thing, but Montag wants her to be there with him as he journeys towards change and enlightenment. But, she won't. In fact, she betrays him by turning him into the firestation. She calls the alarm on her own husband. So, they are not close. They are so distant in fact that Mildred has more loyalty to her society than she does to her husband, and their house ends up getting torched as a result of it. Montag chooses to leave her behind and goes on the run. And, when the city burns to the ground, he imagines Mildred there, burning with her walls, and is oddly unemotional about it. He remember where they met, and can picture it happening, and that's about it.
So overall, Millie and Montag are not close at all--she is a shallow product of their society, and he is not, so that gap causes a rift between them that ultimately separates them in the end. I hope that helps; good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment