Meg Klingner November 18, 2012 Period 6 Fahrenheit 451 In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, technology is used to show what could potentially happen if we don’t think for ourselves. The main characters are Montag and Mildred. Mildred, the spouse of Montag, focuses on the television so much that she forgets to think for herself. Mildred ends up passing away, and Montag didn’t have any sympathy because their relationship wasn’t very close. Technology has a big impact on not just ourselves, but our own thinking. Fahrenheit 451 demonstrates the TV and technology ruins relationships.
Mildred’s complete obsession with TV prevents her from caring for her sick husband. Mildred did not really care about Montag, she had shown no respect for him. All the little things add up, whether it was lying to Montag or not helping him out when he was sick. When you are sick all you want is to rest. Montag asked Mildred to get him an aspirin and some water. Mildred’s response to that is “That’s my family. ” (48) Mildred is basically saying no, that her “family”, the TV, is more important to her than her husband.
This is totally a bungle, because her “family” is fake TV characters. Montag then asks her to turn it off again. Mildreds response “‘I will turn it down. ’ She went out of the room and did nothing to the parlor and came back. ‘Is that better? ’ ‘Thanks’” (48) We all know that Mildred is lying to Montag. This shows that TV gets in the way of their relationship. Mildred is brain washed into the television, and would not even turn the parlor down for Montag when he is sick. Mildred showed a lack a respect and lied to her husband.
Technology gets in the way of relationships and can make people very unhappy. Faber asks Montage what he wants, and Montag’s says “Nobody listens anymore. I can’t talk to walls because they’re yelling at me. I can’t talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want for someone to hear what I have to say. ” (82) Montag is talking to Faber because he is stressed about life. Montag is stressed how Mildred isn’t paying any attention to him, not caring. He also wanted Faber to explain the books. Montag was upset with
Mildred because Mildred doesn’t care about him, but her “family” the television than she does about her own husband. Later on in the page, “I don’t know. We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing. I looked around. The only think I positively knew of was gone was the books I’d burn in ten or twelve years. ” Montag knows that he is unhappy but does’nt know why. Books let us think, unlike the television. This is how Fahrenheit 451 demonstrates the TV and technology ruins relationships.
