Skip to main content

What scratches on Montag and Millie’s front door while they are reading? How does Montag react to it?

The Mechanical Hound scratches and sniffs around the Montag house while Montag reads aloud to Millie. At first, Montag freezes and tells Millie to be quiet in what appears to be paralyzing fear. But that moment is soon followed by a grim resolve on Montag's part to resume reading once he thinks the Hound has moved on.


"Let's get back to work," said Montag quietly. (page 72)


Montag attempts to resume reading, but he has...

The Mechanical Hound scratches and sniffs around the Montag house while Montag reads aloud to Millie. At first, Montag freezes and tells Millie to be quiet in what appears to be paralyzing fear. But that moment is soon followed by a grim resolve on Montag's part to resume reading once he thinks the Hound has moved on.


"Let's get back to work," said Montag quietly. (page 72)


Montag attempts to resume reading, but he has lost Millie's attention and interest. Montag begins to think about the occurrences he observes in the world around him, such as the constant roar of jet bombers heard overhead, and the fact that: "We've started and won two atomic wars since 1990!" (page 73)


He begins to realize that he takes these major events for granted and wonders why. When the telephone rings, Mildred is quick to snatch the phone and answer, becoming instantly distracted, as usual, by a shallow conversation about a television program. Bradbury cleverly provides the answer to Montag's question with the intruding call and Millie's Pavlovian response to it.


Montag tries to continue reading and ignore Millie's chatter but notices that he is easily distracted as well. His mind is challenged to concentrate and he struggles to derive meaning from the words he reads, despite all his curiosity and intent.


"Poor Millie, he thought.  Poor Montag, it's mud to you too. But where do you get help, where do you find a teacher this late?" (page 74)


Montag turns a corner in the novel at this point, committing to a path that he cannot turn back from. He recalls a man he met in a park whom he came upon in possession of a book. In a foreshadowing of his later revolt against the system, Montag declined to arrest the man (Professor Faber) at the time. Montag reacts to the threatening presence of the Mechanical Hound at the door by deciding to contact Faber, rejecting the Hound and the system of repression of thought (or lack of thought) it enforces.  He resolves to continue on the path of self-realization.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...