Fahrenheit 451: Mildred

Mildred reflects all the qualities of a citizen of a dystopic society. She is very easy to control and is fearful of the government. She also conforms to uniform social expectations. Additionally she doesn’t have any original thoughts and only looks at what’s placed right in front of her, she doesn’t wonder about the past or the world outside of her small bubble. She is also a perfect person for government manipulation, which is a common theme in dystopic novels. Another quality that she reflects that is a reoccurring theme, is that she lives in a dehumanized state. An example of this when Mildred overdosed on sleeping pills and essentially kills herself. Image result for fahrenheit 451 pictures mildred overdoseWhen she is taken to the hospital, she is treated without urgency. On page 13 when Montag asked the people working at the hospital why they didn’t send an MD because this was an emergency, they reply with, “”Hell!” the operator cigarette moved on his lips. “We get these cases nine or ten a night…””. This implies that the situation of people overdosing happens all the time, to a point where it isn’t an emergency anymore. When Montag tells her about what she did the next day, she reacts in an unconcerned way and downplays the severity of the situation. This shows how desensitized the citizens of this society are and how Mildred reflects all the qualities of a citizen of a dystopic society.

Picture: Flikr, “English Exam Review”, Quizlet,

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