Burning Bright

I cannot believe it! Montag killed Beatty. I definitely did not expect that. In the last chapter of this book, Bradbury outdid himself. The action in this chapter only magnifies the extent of deterioration of human nature, and the lack of value that we feel regarding human life. The way that he illustrated the hunt for Montag and how it was televised and salivated for was ingenious. It just illustrates what happens when we stop thinking as individuals and start thinking as a collective. Montags ability to think freely saved him from the steely jaws of his potential executioner.

The contrast between the action in the city and the peacefulness in the country serves to illustrate Bradbury's point that the potential for free thought is always present. One must only free the mind of pointless noise.

I am a little disturbed by the fact that I felt no sadness at the thought of thousands of people being disintegrated. I know that this was Bradbury's intent, but because the potential for free thought is present in all humans I wish that I could feel a little sadness for them. I suppose that the mob mentality has just as much potential to surface in all of us as does free thought.

I just hope that we can all remember this book and learn a lesson from it. I am really touched by Granger's desciption of how we leave our mark on the world. I hope that by my being here I have the opportunity to effect change and leave a lasting mark on the people that I leave behind.