The Sieve and the Sand = A Metaphor

I think the metaphor used as this part's title pretty much sums up the entire book. "...if you read fast and read all, maybe some of the sand will stay in the sieve. But he read and the words fell through.." (page 78). I think this shows that Montag is beginning to learn the weight of his actions (burning books) and is trying to overcome them. He's coming to terms with something he's felt for a long time (that it's wrong), and he plans doing something about it even though it seems futile and impossible. But he's going to try because it's the right thing to do and because even if he never succeeds, he'll know he tried.

Faber. I'm not sure how I feel about him. I think he has the potential to be an awesome character, but right now, he's getting on my nerves. He's a scared old man who admits his weaknesses, but still refuses to face them. He hides behind too many things and needs to actually do something. It's great that he plans on aiding Montag, but I think he has to do more than just that. You want to be part of the rebellion? Then you can't stay in the background.

What was up with the blowup at Mildred and her friends, Montag? I know they're infuriating and completely clueless, but if you want to change the world (or get rid of the firefighters), you're going to have to learn how to control your fiery temper. It's pointless yelling at them, and you just make yourself look like an idiot. Control yourself next time, okay?

But something about that scene struck me as odd. I would imagine that, even though the women are gormless, they would have reacted a little more strongly to the sight of a book. If people's houses are being burned down with them in it for crying out loud, wouldn't the average person fear a book? Want to get away from it as fast as possible? Why would they act so calmly? And when Montag was on the train to Faber... wouldn't one of the passengers have noticed he had a book in his hand? Wouldn't they call the firefighters? Or police? What's up with that?

The firetruck pulling up at the Montag residence wasn't really that much of a surprise. It was interesting knowing that Captain Beatty knows so much and has read so much, but it wasn't actually shocking. Oh, well. I hope the next part is more exciting.

Random thoughts whilst reading:

- Clarisse is really dead, isn't she? Darn.

- It's kind of weird thinking about a world in which their are no copies of The Bible. It's the ultimate best-seller, and Christianity is the world's leading religion... It's just weird. I don't consider myself to be very religious, but I know we have at least two copies floating around my house.

- I want to ride one of those trains. They seem like fun.

- Why was "Denham's Dentifrice" repeating so many times? Is that supposed to mean something? Should I know what that means?

Pages I've bookmarked whilst reading:

- Page 71: "We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over." Note: Quote is originally by James Boswell.

- Page 73: "Books aren't people. You read and I look all around, but there isn't anybody!"

- Page 75: "I don't talk things, sir. I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive."

- Page 84: "Number one, as I said: quality of information. Number two: leisure to digest it. And number three: the right to carry out actions based on what we learn from the interaction of the first two."

- Page 86: "Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for the shore."

- Page 103: "He would be Montag-plus-Faber, fire plus water, and, then, one day, after everything had mixed and simmered and worked away in silence, there would be neither fire nor water, but wine. Out of two separate and opposite things, a third."

Up next: Burning Bright. Oooh. I wonder if they'll burn down Montag's house. Let's see, okay?