Skip to main content

What is the significance of Montag's being "fully aware of his entire body"

This quote is found near the end of the book, as Montag and the other survivors experience the contrasts of the wilderness. Montag reflects on how Mildred would not have been able to tolerate the lack of stimulation, but that Montag, by contrast, is now "waking up" to the sensations of his own body.


This is a reference to some of what Faber spoke about when he and Montag discussed the elements necessary for their...

This quote is found near the end of the book, as Montag and the other survivors experience the contrasts of the wilderness. Montag reflects on how Mildred would not have been able to tolerate the lack of stimulation, but that Montag, by contrast, is now "waking up" to the sensations of his own body.


This is a reference to some of what Faber spoke about when he and Montag discussed the elements necessary for their society to recover from its self-induced stupor. One element was the ability to reflect on what had been learned - but this was impossible, according to Faber, because there was no room for reflection when one's senses were filled up and overloaded with programming at every moment and every place. We see this when Montag is attempting to memorize the passage from his book and "arguing" with the Denham's ad on the subway.


In the wilderness, the complete lack of traditional stimulation is, ironically, stimulating. Montag's "face, his mouth, his eyes stuffed with blackness", and "the more he breathed the land in, the more he was filled up with all the
details of the land." The entire experience is wholly novel for him. This is probably the first time that Montag has had to actually rely on his body and "listen" to it in this way, and also the first time that he has experienced nature in a way that allows it to compete with the programmed reality of society. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is hyperbole in the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his... The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him plu
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some literary devices in Macbeth, Act V, Scene 1?

Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not... Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh, oh! (5.1.53-55) Hyperbole - Obvious exaggeration  There is also h
Post a Comment
Read more

Examine the boy’s “interior monologues,” the italicized parts of the story in "Barn Burning." What do these parts tell us about the boy,...

With the italicized sections of "Barn Burning," Faulkner is using a Modernist style of narration called perspectivism. In this style, the narrator is omniscient only in regard to one character, at least for a given part of the story where the technique is used. Thus the action of "Barn Burning" is experienced through the boy Sarty's perspective, and events are interpreted through the way he perceives them. The italicized portions of the story take us deep into Sarty's psyche and usually give words to either the conflicts he is experiencing or the hopes he has for resolving those conflicts. As the story opens and Abner Snopes appears before a Justice for burning a barn, Sarty's thoughts voice his loyalty to his father, but the intensity of their expression indicate that the loyalty requires effort on Sarty's part. As they ride away in their wagon, Sarty begins to hope: "Maybe he's done satisfied now, now that he has..." As yet he cannot
Post a Comment
Read more