How does Mildred reflect all the qualities of a citizen of a dystopian society?
When writing a piece of dystopian literature, and creating a dystopian society, one must give examples of how the society is- how it is the live and experience life in this society, how this society indoctrinates their citizens, and what daily life looks like. Or rather, what an everyday citizen looks like. Usually, to get this task out fo the way, dystopian authors present their protagonists with a random example of the society, like Billy Dean from ‘The True Tale of the Monster BIlly Dean, Telt by Hisself’ and his odd interaction with a forager, or even Harry Potter and his first meeting with Hagrid from ‘Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone’– but Bradbury presents an interesting example. By making this archetype, the character that reflects all the qualities of a citizen of a dystopian society and represents the ‘sheep’ of society, the wife of the protagonist, and not just some random person or new character. Not only is Guy Montag actively passive in this society and surrounded by actively passive citizens like Mildred, but he is married to one. This gives the society an odd familiarity, since the reader is quite literally living with a brainwashed citizen. Mildred was born into this role and this society, she feels nothing, is entertained easily, and has no real depth- none of which are her fault, but all of which are her inherent choice. She could, perhaps, rebel like her husband later does and her young neighbor, Clarisse, does, but she does not- she remains dormant. It is in this aspect that Mildred reflects all of the qualities of a citizen of a dystopian society, when even unhappy and bored with her life she does not stand up and makes a change, but lets herself be beat down and dumbed down by the noises and rules of society.
“Millie, he thought. All this country here. Listen to it! Nothing and nothing. So much silence, Millie, I wonder how you’d take it? Would you shout Shut up, shut up! Millie, Millie.” (“Fahrenheit 451: Mildred Montag Quotes | SparkNotes”)
(“WIP- Fahrenheit 451- Mildred Montag by Gurdim on DeviantArt”)