reading log 7

Synopsis: Montag and Mildred spend the afternoon reading. Montag speculates about what it was that made Clarisse so unique. Montag feels that books must somehow be able to help him out of his ignorance, but he does not understand what he is reading and decides that he must find a teacher. He thinks back to an afternoon a year before when he met an old English professor named Faber in the park. It was apparent that Faber had been reading a book of poetry before Montag arrived. The professor had tried to hide the book and run away, but after Montag reassured him that he was safe, they talked, and Faber gave him his address and phone number. Now Montag calls the professor. He asks him how many copies of the Bible, Shakespeare, or Plato are left in the country. Faber, who thinks Montag is trying to trap him, says none are left and hangs up the phone. Montag goes back to his pile of books and realizes that he took from the old woman what may be the last copy of the Bible in existence. He considers turning in a substitute to Beatty (who knows he has at least one book), but he realizes that if Beatty knows which book he took, the chief will guess that he has a whole library if he gives him a different book. He decides to have a duplicate made before that night. Mildred tells him that some of her friends are coming over to watch TV with her. Montag, still trying to connect with her, asks her rhetorically if the “family” on TV loves her. She dismisses his question. He takes the subway to Faber’s, and on the way tries to memorize verses from the Bible.

Why it is important: It is important because it truly defines the difference between Mildred and Montag. Mildred cares more about television and her ‘family’ than her marriage to Montag (It almost makes you think that it was maybe an arranged marriage). It also asked an important question: ‘Does the white clown love you?’ I think that it is a hidden way of saying: ‘Does your government care about you?’ The last of the bibles part seems to be an inspiration for The Book of Eli.
Symbols:

The white Clown: The government

The sniffing at the door: probably the mechanical hound.