Saturday, February 16, 2013

What part of the Bible is Montag reading on the subway and how does it relate to him in Fahrenheit 451?

In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is trying
to memorize the words Jesus spoke concerning lilies:


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Consider the lilies of the field, shut up, shut
up. 



But he keeps getting
interrupted by a commercial blaring through the
subway. 


First, the book he is reading, the Bible, is
important simply because it is a book in a bookless society, and it relates to Montag
because he is openly reading it in public.  This is a big step for
Montag. 


Yet, he can't understand what he reads.  This
leads him to think of the sieve and the sand anecdote and image and metaphor, as he
compares the futility of trying to fill a sieve with sand, with his attempt to
comprehend and remember everything he reads. 


Specifically,
his memorizing of the lilies of the field passage reminds one of Clarisse's desire and
ability to notice nature, to experience nature.  This is a central part of her influence
over Montag.  A lilly, perhaps, might also be reminiscent of the dandelion she rubs
under his chin, establishing, or at least suggesting, that he is not in
love. 


Finally, Montag's attempt to memorize a text in
order to save it, is an important step toward saving a part of existence that makes one
human:  knowledge, opinions, ideas--all contained in books.

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