Captain B. Dawg

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

My Final Breath

I saw him grip the fire torch with such power. He carried a vengeance look on his face. I saw him be relentless for the first time. Finally! The day has come where Montag becomes the person I wanted him to be. He looked pleased when he burned his house down.  The man who once admired burning houses and books has come back in some way. All that time I spent taunting him finally paid off. I was willing to risk my life for the return of Montag, the man he once was, before he defied society and stood against it. I motivated him to take action against me by taunting him relentlessly.

 I saw the fire burning full of power. I saw how Montag’s house slowly burned to the ground as the flames turned everything to ash. Oh! how beautiful fire really is. The fluorescent light that lights up a soul, filled with rage and power, relentless towards everything it touches. As I saw him loose control and commit his first blatant act, it clicked, I pushed him for a reason. I wanted him to kill me; I wanted to die with the exact thing that turned me into the relentless and soulless creature I am today. I became a contradiction of myself. I admire fire, and feel such passion and adrenaline when burning books. Yet, I am filled with literature. Everything I say or do is related to my knowledge of literature. I used quotes to proof to others how horrible books and literature are. However, one does not need quotes or be filled with knowledge of books to make someone believe the appalling nature of books. I am similar, if not worst, than those people who actually read books. I am proud of Montag and the man he has become. Yes, he was a man who defied my authority and the society’s laws and rules, but he had the right intentions. As soon as he got a glimpse of literature and its knowledge, Montag became amazed by it, and was planning for books to not be unrecognized. No one was able to change his mind; he was proud and defiant, wanting to change society for good. In a way, Montag was an image of someone I used to be. A young boy who used to love books and gain knowledge, being truly passionate no matter the risks I was taking. Today, I used to use quotes to remind me of that beautiful literature that I have experienced. All along I have lied to myself, and the people around me. Literature and knowledge are key elements in life. Nothing brought me more happiness and passion than reading books, however I guess you can’t have both happiness and a perfect life. I chose to abide by the society’s rules, loosing myself in the process. However, I chose wrong, since it has brought me to an end.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

“'What is it about fire that’s so lovely? No matter what age we aren what draws us to it?… I’s perpetual motion; the thing man wanted to invent but never did. Or almost perpetual motion. If you let it go on, it’d burn our lifetimes out'” (page 141)

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

"'I want you to do this job all by your lonesome, Montag. Not with kerosene and a match but piecework, with a flame thrower. Your house, your cleanup’”(page 116).

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

"'Hand it over Guy,' said Beatty with a fixed smile. And then he was a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling, gibbering mannikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on him" (page 119).

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

End It With Fire

I cant deny i enjoyed every single moment i spent watching Montag burn down the house. The way the fire consumed the furniture. I love the smell that the lies in books have when their incinerated. Its sad that people don't see the cleansing power of fire, fire is pure fire is clean. Cleansing with fire was a concept Montag used to understand and believe in but that is no more. A man with everything someone could ask for a wife, a home and the best job in the world a firefighter, and he decides to go down the wrong path. It fascinates me how he believes that book actually possess a knowledge worth risking your life for.

Books are pages full of lies that cause chaos and inequality. He will have to be punished for his mistakes and crimes against society. It irritates me and for some reason makes me angry, why! books are prohibited and they are to be burned. why must he stray away from what society dictates, why must he make me do this. He has made the mistake and now he will understand the consequences. I am the chief and this small problem is nothing, ill fix this and move on, its just that these cases are unacceptable and i didn't expect this from Montag.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

The Beginning of the End

I watch as Montag sweeps the house with the fire torch. Furniture sizzles like bacon and the curtains dance around as if in a trance. A deep sense of satisfaction fills every corner of my body and I can feel that the grin on my face is wider than ever. Finally, a little common sense from the man who has risked everything over stupid pages bound together by lies. He’ll thank me for this one day. He’ll sit in prison thanking God or the Jesus on TV for my existence. After all, I am the one that made all of this possible. If this isn’t cause for an epiphany, I don’t know what is. Day after day I have kept an eye on this fireman and I’ve tried to warn him about what would happen. I gave him a way out but he refused to take it. For what? For a life full of fairy tales and contradictions? For a conscience? He seems to have forgotten the concept of consequences. Well, let this be a little reminder.

Montag’s hands are gripping the fire torch with such strength that his knuckles are snowy white. As I look at him closely, I see one thing that continues to bother me. It is an incessant nagging in the back of my head sending me a signal I can’t ignore much like the firehouse alarm. I take a look at his face and I am transfixed by the man’s eyes. They are the closest things to black coals I have ever seen in my life. What upsets me is not the color it’s the expression. Instead of exuding understanding, shame or even sadness, his eyes are radiating anger. I imagine that the anger he’s feeling is directed at me and I suddenly feel a rush of anxiousness. I quickly dismiss it by reassuring myself that I am the one in charge and I have nothing to fear. This is the beginning of the end for you Montag. A sheep has strayed from the herd, and the shepherd is in no mood to go and get it back.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Fahrenheit 451’s Dover Beach

‘Dover Beach’, the poem written by Mathew Arnold, is related to Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 because they both refer to Dystopia, a world without truth. The author of the poem, Arnold, talks about the time when the world used to be protected by faith and trust, however the world is now left full of lies.

The last stanza of Dover Beach has the most relation to Fahrenheit 451. Both the book and the poem state that this world, as it is being lived, seems perfect. No one disagrees with each other or is unhappy. It seems “like a land of dreams”, as stated by Arnold. Everything appears to be good, however, in reality, the people aren’t happy. In this “perfect society” the people unintentionally suppress their own feelings. This is seen in Fahrenheit 451 with Mildred’s many attempts to commit suicide due to her depression. It is also seen as Mrs. Phelps cries after Montag finishes reciting the poem ‘Dover Beach’. This poem triggered that feeling she concealed, causing her to open up and feel everything she has been suppressing.

Montag says to the women, “did you hear about these monsters talking about monsters?” (Bradbury 97). This refers to the superficiality present in the society and how shallow the discussion of the women about real people and real issues are. He wants to show the women how heartless they really are, and how insensitive they are about emotion and beauty. He recites ‘Dover Beach’ to show the women the profundity of life.

"You see? I knew it, that's what I wanted to prove! I knew it would happen! I've always said, poetry and tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feelings, poetry and sickness; all that mush! Now I've had it proved to me” (Bradbury 100). Mrs. Bowles reacts this way and calls Montag “nasty” because it is how society has made her think and act. Society has taught every individual that literature is bad, feeling is bad, and emotions are bad. While Montag read the women the poem, Mrs. Phelps experienced real emotion (i.e. the reason she cries), which is what the society has portrayed as immoral. Both women are put in a situation where they do not know how to react, so Mrs. Bowles ends up attacking both literature and Montag. Both Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles have missed the purpose of the poem. They react badly due to the feelings that the poem has caused them to experience. However, feelings are part of humanity, and denying those feeling is equivalent to denying our humanity as it creates a soulless individual (e.g. in Bradbury’s situation, a soulless society). This is one of the major reasons why there is no interaction between the people in Fahrenheit 451’s society and there is no sense of morality. The shows present in this society (e.g. Family, the T.V show Mildred and the women watch) are specifically designed to not let the people create or have emotions.

“Ah, Love, let us be true to one another!” This line from Arnold’s poem correlates with Mildred and Montag’s relationship. It can relate to the time where Montag exposes his confusion to Mildred about burning books, with the purpose to make her understand him. He is asking of Mildred to open up to him, to feel, and to be true to herself. Montag is trying to find someone who can understand him.  ‘Dover Beach’ is symbolic of Fahrenheit 451’s society and Ray Bradbury made a great reference to Mathew Arnold’s poem.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

A Long Lost Beatty

“That made you for a little while drunkard. Read a few lines and off you go over the cliff. Bang, you’re ready to blow up the world, chop off heads, knock down women and children, destroy authority. I know, I’ve been through it all”  (Bradbury 106). Saying this to Montag, made me remember of my first time. I remember the feeling of danger and excitement that I felt as the adrenaline rushed through my veins. The feeling I got from reading the first page of my first book. It was this amazing feeling where I knew, for the first time ever, that I had discovered myself and knew my purpose in life. Books have something in them that is totally addictive. I felt like I had discovered something, because no one I knew had read any book, or type of literature, due to its illegality.

I thought books made you find your purpose, that they were alluring. I thought they were simple, clear and fulfilling. No matter how long you took to get a taste of them, once you did, you knew you were meant to acquire such knowledge. As if it was our life’s purpose. However, once I returned to reality, I knew there was nothing magical about them. All that feeling, and magic is in what books say. They give this pessimistic look on our perfect society that makes you wonder, whether our society should change. And it shouldn’t. We live in a society were we give equal amount of chances to every single individual; a place where everyone is equal, therefore eliminating all type of discrimination or negative thoughts that might rise from inequality. In the past, there were so much chaos, judgment, violence and wars because of our differences. Those differences can be portrayed in books, which is why they should be burnt. We must liberate ourselves from the negative emotions transmitted in books and transform our life like our society has done. The firefighters have a purpose and they must be proud of their work. I have experienced knowledge and literature, and there is nothing good that can come from it.

Montag reminded me of a young Beatty, one who once was passionate about books not passionate about burning them. However, ever since I read my first book, it has reminded me of the importance of the basis of our society, and how literature will destroy our society’s structure and its people. Now, my life has really changed because I don’t have to manufacture this feeling of passion towards the hatred of literature. That passion of burning books is just innately inside of me.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Deceitfulness Isn’t Enough To Keep Me From Knowing

“Let’s have your hands in sight, Montag. Not that we don’t trust you, but–” (Bradbury 105). I have started to analyze Montag. He had a nervous look that I have never seen before, and constantly kept fidgeting. It was as if he had something to hide that he didn’t want me to know. However, I already know about the books, so, perhaps there is more? I want to know to what extent his lie has become. 

I have an uncanny ability to detect when something's just not right with someone else and all the red flags point towards Montag’s deceitful behavior. He had sudden changes in body language, from facial expressions to patterns of speech; this is normally caused when you’re nervous and feeling tense (i.e. when you lie); so, what lie was making him so nervous? I looked at him and said “Or this? ‘A little learning is a dangerous thing. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring; There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.’ Pope. Same Essay. Where does that put you?” (Bradbury 106). One telltale sign of lying is a sudden inability to speak, which was present in Montag, as he did not respond, however bit his lip. Not being able to talk is caused due to a reflexive action, which can occur as a result of quick changes in heart rate and blood flow, making us feel out of breath. I have learned all of this from years of experience of people who have tried and managed to fail to hide and possess books. He clearly knew this quote, however his nervousness wasn’t about showing me his knowledge about literature. So, it is certain, he is hiding something or perhaps someone. It may be professor Faber, that old English instructor.

Professor Fabar has been in my radar for quite some time, however, he has managed to not get caught. Faber could be Montag’s secret except Montag isn’t as clever as him. Maybe that is it; Fabar is whom Montag is hiding. I have learned that if you want to convince someone to do something for you or change his or her mind on an issue that's important to you, presenting it in the right way can make a big difference. And that certainly is one of Fabar’s qualities. People are going to do what they want to do, and it's a simple matter of saying a few magic words to convince them that your needs should be their priority. Montag already knew he wanted to keep reading, and Faber managed to get his innocent soul and turn him into one of society’s enemy. He has succumbed to literature and now, either he is strong enough to contain himself and stop reading, or he becomes the past (like I have done with many others, one of them being Clarisse).

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Dover Beach

Life in Montag’s world is shallow, fake and and grey. People are lied to and are omitted information that would change their world. Everyone believes something thats not, books are burned and people don't learn and think about anything because they not influenced. This relates to the poem because the man realized that his perception of the world is all a lie

When montag reads the passage to the girls they feel scared and surprised. they are being exposed to something that they have never seen before. Its like showing a tv to a cave man, they would think its something “bad”. They are surprised because they to have been lied to about the world they live in.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Pg 107

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Pg. 110

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Free and Equal

"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon." Pg: 58

-  There is only one true danger in our society. Mother of all injustices and evils, books are a danger to mankind. Books plant ideas in our minds and books cause inequality, they are the true work of the devil. Only when they are not around will we truly be safe.

 You might ask yourself what’s “safe?” Safe is an ideal society where we are all the same. A society where we all have a role and nobody feels less than the other. There is no room for superiority and no room for feeling knowledgeable. We should not feel scared of anything, we should not feel judged by other ideas and we will not be influenced. Burn them all and they wont hurt us at all.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Burn the filth away

"Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean." Pg: 60

 -  There is only one thing I know to be true. A force so powerful yet so simple that brings equity to us all, fire. We must not fall into the pits of chaos, we must not let into the tangles of those who give their opinions. We must burn them all to set us free and let us be.

If what we wish to have is peace among us, then we must cleanse the source of filth. The filth that causes problems, the same filth that the world was so fond of many years ago. Burn them all to the ground and let us rise above the ashes, let the misconstrued words of those who lie be the foundation of our new order. As our duty we will establish the peace and equality needed. No one will be left behind, no one will be set aside.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Home is Where the Fire Is

“Here we go to keep the world happy, Montag!” I say as my knuckles grip the steering wheel (page 109). I can barely contain my excitement as the trees rush past the Salamander and the target comes into view. Oh this should be a pleasant surprise for the bookworm. What a delight it will be to witness the look on the lad’s face when he sees what I’ve got in store for him. I see him in the rearview mirror and realize that he’s too distracted to notice which direction we’re going in. He’ll see things clearly in a few minutes

The grin I’m trying to hide is fighting back as I watch Montag stumble out of the truck distractedly. If he’s worried now, wait until he sees what happens next. Time seems to stand still as Montag lifts his gaze and notices his house. The emotions flit across his face in a comical fashion and I don’t want to miss any of them.  His mouth is agape and he wears a confused expression. A sense of righteousness comes over me and I know that I’ve done the right thing. Everyone must know that they are not above the law. Books are banned for a reason. No role model can stray the way Montag did. I gave him all the fair warnings and still he chose this path of destruction. If destruction is what he wants, that’s exactly what he’ll get.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Beaches and Blasphemy

“What can I do for you today Ms. Bowles?” I say languidly as I speak into the phone. These ladies are always fussing about something and they think it’s up to us to solve all their problems. What could Ms. Bowles have to tell me on a day like today? I listen to her talk a little about the weather and the walls and catch onto a hint of panicked nervousness. I cut her off and ask her to tell me what’s going on. After some hesitation she blurts out a story that sounds like music to my ears. I can’t control the grin that spreads out on my face like jelly.

She mentions what she said to poor silly Montag when he had finished reading her a poem from a book. “Oh Captain, I was beside myself! Poor Clara was sobbing uncontrollably and all because of that nonsense he was reading to us. Never heard anything more absurd in my life! About a stupid ocean and all that sadness. Dower, Dover. Something like that. I told him though! I said: “ I’m trotting right straight home. I won’t come in this fireman’s crazy house again in my lifetime!” (page 101).  I feel bad for Mildred; the dear must be suffering terribly with that crazy husband of hers.  Just thought you should know.” I quickly reassure her by telling her she’s done the right thing and praising her loyalty to the law. The poem she was talking about is Dover Beach. I know it by heart. Arnold sure knew how to express all those contrasting emotions. What a load of crap. I shake my head and sigh. After hanging up the phone I can feel my mind brimming with ideas on how to expose a man I once called partner.

[ourcaptainbdawg-blog]

Two Heads are Better than One

“Let’s have your hands in sight, Montag. Not that we don’t trust you, understand, but—“ I say jokingly and feel satisfied when I am rewarded with a round of laughter from the men (page 105). I watch as Montag fidgets in his seat and his eyes dart nervously around the table. His gaze reaches mine and he immediately lowers it. ‘I’ve got you, haven’t I’ I say to myself. There’s something about this whole situation that makes me wonder. Montag still doesn’t seem like himself, which means he has something to be nervous about. Either he has more books, hasn’t dismissed the idea of their importance or he’s being fed knowledge through some other source. What if he really is working with someone? But who?

I mentally create a list of possible accomplices. I immediately discard his wife; there is literally no one more scatter-brained and incapable than that woman. Could it be another fireman? I look carefully around the table and observe each person’s behavior. They all seem fine except for poor old Montag, who happens to be perspiring profusely. I smile to myself and make a mental note to mess with his head at some point in time. If it isn’t any of the firemen, it has to be an outsider. It can’t be Clarisse because I made sure to take care of that situation. The only other people that could be interested in transmission of knowledge would be the old hags. Some embittered philosopher or historian looking to ‘save’ a lost treasure. I could easily distinguish those. In fact, there are only three or four around these parts and I know them by name. There’s Mr. Harrison, Tom Braddock and Professor Faber. If I had to take a guess, it’d be the old professor. Who else would keep such an appalling title?