Commentary
This passage would be inserted after the line “He listened and his wife was singing under her breath”.
In this passage, the distance between Montag and Mildred is captured to break down, showing the progression of their relationship. The first line instantly presents Mildred as her formerly uncaring and distant self as she purposefully “turned away from Montag” at a time of need and support. The lack of dialect between the couple is significant throughout the novel, as in previous conversations Mildred’s blunt replies such as “Didn’t sleep well. Feel terrible” show how distant their relationship is. It is also highly relevant that Clarisse is most prominent character that Montag reflects on in this passage, as it suggests he cares more about her than his wife. I’ve tried to capture and present the emotionlessness in the relationship as Bradbury has done throughout the novel, especially through the use of the metaphor, “Montag felt some great wall divide Mildred further and further away”. The repetition of “further and further” emphasises how Montag feels completely detached from his wife. Also, Bradbury often refers to the sea to depict an idea of distance between the couple, for example “He lay far across the room from her, on a winter island separated by an empty sea”. I have tried to emulate this through the quote “their small shipwreck among the sea” as it links back to and emphasises the emptiness within their relationship, whilst keeping in Bradbury’s style of writing. I have attempted to link it well with key themes and points throughout the novel. I decided to make this section revolve around Clarisse and Montag’s changing thoughts and feelings. Firstly, the metaphor “Clarisse’s face burned into the
