Thursday, October 15, 2009
Mindless Thills by Kenzie Renner
In Fahrenheit 451, Mildred (along with almost everyone else in the community) seeks mindless pleasure. One example of this starts on page 13 of the book. It's the first time the reader meets Mildred. When the reader meets her, she is unconscious. This is her mindless pleasure. She overdosed on her sleeping pills 'accidently'. Another example is her 3-Wall television. She wants to be entertained at an instant. That's how most of the people are in that community. She drowns herself in technology. On page 20, she gets a script in the mail, so it will be like she's in the movie. This is just a mindless pleasure. The show doesn't have any important content. A third example is Mildred's wreckless driving. When she is tense or mad, she drives around speeding and hitting animals on the road. She finds it fun, but the reader might find it bestial. The few reasons listed show how Mildred seeks mindless pleasure.
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I agree with Kenzie in the fact that Mildred does seek mindless plessure in Fahrenheit 451. Another example i would like to point out is how she is always listening to her seashells or headphones so that she doesn't have to focus on anything important. I thought it was also interesting how she doesn't like Clarisse. Whenever Montag asks about her or wants to talk about her, she wants to change the subject, maybe showing that she doesn't want to change her ways and she likes to be in a mindless society.
ReplyDeleteNow i want to go on to explain differnences between these two characters. Like Kenzie said, Mildred seems like she likes to live in a mindless society and doesn't want to think or change. Clarisse on the other hand does the exact opposite. She is always thinking and observing and wondering about the world. An example of this is when she talks about getting kicked out of her school and forced to see a psychiatrist. In that class, she talks about kids doing violent, dangerous things as "fun". She continues by saying she doesn't want to be a part of that, showing the reader that she is different. A last example i want to use is when Montag asks Mildred if she remembers when or where they met. She thinks it is a stupid question and should be viewed as nothing or unimportant information, but Clarisse see's it as something that any couple should know. She asks questions and thinks about the meaning behind things (which actually scares people) while Mildred just goes thought her daily routine like there is nothing wrong in her world. That is my overview of the differences between Mildred and Clarisse.
- Tyler Norman
I would have to agree with kenzie. I find it ridicules on how they have to stimulate themselves to find a form of entertainment advanced enough for them. Watching three walls of television at once and wanting to put a forth one in would just be pointless and a waste of money because your back would have to always be to one. The more advanced our technology gets to be the more it takes to make us happy. People do drive dangerously fast, and do hit things while driving; but I just can't imagine doing it for fun. However, I think that when you really look at the way we are today isn't completely that far off from being a society like that.
ReplyDeleteWith Tyler's comment on saying that Mildred doesn't like Clarisse I think we get that impression of it because Mildred doesn't actually know Clarisse. Clarisse is a complete stranger to Mildred and she doesn't understand why Montag would want to keep talking about this girl that comes from a strange family. I think Clarisse's family is an outcast to the rest of the society because they are able to think for themselves and don't need easy entertainment like the other people do.
- Kaylee Meyers
I agree with Kenzie on the mindless thrills. There are so many things that these people do that are in fact "mindless." I would really agree on the thrill part though. When Mildred says that she likes to take the car out and drive really fast and that its better it she hits a dog or something. I find that sick that hitting an animal would make her act of mindless pleasure all the more better. Do these people really have no more emotions toward common animals anymore?
ReplyDeleteThe TV-walls was another pleasure Mildred managed to fill her day with. In my opinion, there's only so much you can fill your head with of TV before you get sick of it. And the shows Mildred watched had no plot to them; they didn't make sense. What's the point of watching it then? She completely absorbed in it. She comes off as if it is really one of the only things she cares about.
Fun parks was another pleasure for the kids and teens. I found this interesting, how a society had a place for people to smash windows, crash cars, bully people, and even kill them! what sane person does that for fun?
It's just hard to understand how these people in this society shun people out like Clarisse. Not just because of them taking her as a threat for thinking on her own, but because she doesn't take pleasure in that crazy stuff. She's perfectly content with walking in the rain, or looking at treees, or talking to her family. She doesn't need to kill someone to feel like she's having 'fun.'
-Kearsten Cantrell
Oops. i accidently put *would, though I meant: *I WOULDN'T really agree on the thrill part though.
ReplyDelete-Kearsten
I completly agree with Kenzie. In the book Fahrenheit 451, we see Mildred trying to escape her problems in many ways. When we are first introduced to her, we see her overdosing on medecine to try to escape how unhappy she is. Today, the misuse of drugs is rapidly becoming a problem. It is a very serious issue that needs to be adressed. Many people are dying because they think that is the only way to completely stop all their hurt.
ReplyDeleteAnother way Mildred tries escaping reality is with technology. She is constantly always listening to her 'sea shells' or watching t.v. in the parlor room. In the book, most families have no idea how to just sit around and talk with one another. Mildred sits in her parlor room and indulges herself in the three t.v. complex. In my opinion, three television's in one room is rediculous. Mildred watches one shows on these tv's that have no meaning what so ever. But, to her, this is what she lives for. Instead of carrying on a conversation with Montag or trying to fit in with the community she drowns herself with what she thinks makes her happy.
-Alex Morrow