Journal Entry 6

In this part of the book I really started to notice how sympathetic Montag is starting to act.  Montag has just witnessed a lady who chose to stay in her apartment with the burning books rather than leave with Montag.  This incident really opened up Montag’s eyes to see that there must be something worth reading in these books for a lady to give up her life for them.  This part of the book also shows how different Montag is than his wife.  His wife showed no sympathy for this lady.  Her response was “She’s nothing to me; she shouldn’t have had books.  It was her responsibility, she should’ve thought of that.  I hate her.  She’s got you going and next thing you know we’ll be out, no house, no job, nothing (Bradbury, 51).”  Mildred (Montag’s wife) was being very inconsiderate when she said this.  Montag’s response was “You weren’t there, you didn’t see,” he said.  “There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there.  You don’t stay for nothing (Bradbury, 51).”  This statement also shows just how different Montag is from everyone else.  In my opinion Clarisse was the reason for him opening up like he is starting to.  Montag continued saying “It’s not just the woman that died. Last night I thought about all the kerosene I’ve used in the past ten years.  And I thought about books.  And for the first time I realized that a man was behind each one of the books.  A man had to think them up.  A man had to take a long time to put them down on paper.  And I’d never even though that thought before (Bradbury, 52).”  I’m glad that Montag is starting to realize just how much hard work these authors have put into the books that he has been burning for the past ten years.  I am hoping that as the book progresses that he will turn these thoughts into actions and actually do something about it.