In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag is given the choice to memorize manybooks. He is also given the choice to learn many different pieces from theBible. Ecclesiastes is a great choice for Montag to memorize. There are manydifferent bits of information from Ecclesiastes that are very similar to theseveral details and events that occur in Fahrenheit 451. Ecclesiastes talksabout vanity in man’s private life, vanity in civil life, and also, truewisdom. All of these are heavily cited in the book.
This is why I feel thatMontag should have memorized Ecclesiastes. Vanity in man’s private life was amajor theme in the book. Just look at how Mildred complained about not having afourth TV wall. She wanted all four walls to have TV’s, so that not only wouldher “family” be complete, but also so that they could join the ranks of the”higher” society. This is a major example of how vain Mildred is.
She wantsMontag to go to work when he was sick, because she wants the money to go out andbuy another TV. She wants to be completely absorbed by her “family”. SinceMontag has experience in this part of life he can relate his experiences andintegrate what he knows to what he has memorized from Ecclesiastes. Vanity incivil life is another big theme in Fahrenheit 451.
In Ecclesiastes it states”Vain and cheerless is life because of the iniquity which reigns in the hallsof justice (iii, 16-22), as well as in the intercourse of men (iv, 1-3). ” Thepeople have guilt for what they do, especially when it is something that isagainst the law. In the book, Montag feels guilty for saving some of the booksand keeping them at his home. He also feels guilty being around Beatty. Montagfeels like he is deceiving Beatty and his fellow firemen.
He knows that he is atsome fault here, but he cannot shake the feeling that his society is keepingsomething from him and everyone else. Montag feels that the books contain theanswers to these questions. With his experience, once again he would be wellequipped to relate to Ecclesiastes. Following along with the other themes of thebook is true wisdom. True wisdom is not to attempt to solve all the riddles oflife, but instead enjoy what is known, and share that wisdom. With the knowledgeof Ecclesiastes, Montag could help better his society.
He could change things. It is also said that one should not lose his or her temper. Montag remained verycomposed throughout the entire book, so I feel that he could handle this task. He also follows advice well, and he works diligently.
Ecclesiastes really wouldbe perfect for him to memorize. Montag is given the choice to memorize manygreat works, including the Bible. Ecclesiastes is a wonderful choice for Montagto memorize. It talks about vanity in man’s private life, vanity in civillife, and also, true wisdom. All of these are heavily cited in the book.
Thereare many different bits of information from Ecclesiastes that are very similarto the several details and events that occur in Fahrenheit 451. And this is whyI feel that Montag should have memorized Ecclesiastes.
