Why is mildred acting strangely

Montag goes home and hides the book he has stolen under his pillow. He asks her where they first met ten years ago, but neither of them can remember. Mildred gets out of bed and goes to the bathroom to take some sleeping pills, and Montag tries to count the number of times he hears her swallow and wonders if she will forget later and take more.

He feels terribly empty and concludes that the TV walls stand between him and his wife. Mildred tells him the family moved away and that she thinks Clarisse was hit by a car and killed.

Montag is sick the next morning, and the omnipresent stink of kerosene makes him vomit. He tells Mildred about burning the old woman and asks her if she would mind if he gave up his job for a while. The argument ends when they see Captain Beatty coming up the front walk. This reveals that Montag lacks awareness of his true motivations and that some unconscious force is overpowering his conscious, rational self.

Nonetheless, after stealing the book Montag experiences an intense, disorienting fear. He tries to draw some emotional support from his wife, seeking desperately to remember where they first met. This bit of information takes on a symbolic significance for him as he realizes that he does not truly feel connected to her. New User? First Name. Last Name. Email Address. Opt-in to important GradeSaver updates! Have an Account?

Ace your assignments with our guide to Fahrenheit ! SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Why did the government ban books?

Why does Mildred overdose on sleeping pills? Why does Montag want to read books? How does Montag know about Faber? What happens to Clarisse? Why does Mrs. Phelps cry when Montag reads aloud the poem? Why does Montag think Beatty wants to die? What is the Mechanical Hound? How does meeting Clarisse affect Montag? Why does Faber consider himself a coward? Why are people so violent in Fahrenheit ? Summary Montag reaches down to touch the Mechanical Hound in the fire station, and it growls at him and threatens him.

Analysis So it was the hand that started it all. See Important Quotes Explained. Popular pages: Fahrenheit