“What traitors books can be! You think they’re backing you up, and they turn on you. Others can use them too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives.” (Page 107, Captain Beatty)
After reading this brief passage, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Captain Beatty. Whilst before he was portrayed as a one-dimensional character, whose sole purpose in life was to burn books, this quote adds to his character much needed depth. It seems to me that at one point or another in Captain Beatty’s life he was an avid reader of books. At some point in his life it seems as if books had turned on him. Perhaps it was a personal crisis of some sort, or maybe his precious books no longer held the former allure they used to. Either way, whatever happened had shaped him into the person he was today. I have no doubt of his intelligence, as he’s shown his memory in applying book quotes to real-life situations, but you just feel sorry that he’s burning books instead of fighting to keep them. Understandably he’s bitter, and when there’s that much hatred or dislike of something inside of you, eventually it gets released. While some people punch a wall, or scream loudly, Captain Beatty’s way of release is much more violent. He attacks his former interest directly, burning away, leaving only ashes.
7. In the past books were traitors because in places that were communist you were not allowed to freely express yourself which means that writers back then were not allowed to write the truth.
ReplyDeleteDo you guys think Beatty wanted to die? After all, it almost seemed as if he purposely tipped Montag over the edge until he killed him.
ReplyDeleteAnd he did give Montag the flame thrower. Beatty knew full well that he was vulnerable and that Montag had reasons to kill him.
If what you said about Beatty being bitter about his past is true, maybe that's a reason.
Yeah, I personally believe that Beatty wanted to die. He just couldn't find a way to kill himself! Overdosing on pills would've just lead to his healing via the "Snake", so he gave Montag all the tools/motivation to kill him. Perhaps in a hope that Montag's life would take a differing turn from the one his (Captain Beatty) had
ReplyDeleteThanks just helped me with a exit ticket!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteso what did he mean by "What traitors books can be!"
ReplyDeletehOW can a book...be a traitor...?
so what did he mean by "What traitors books can be!"
ReplyDeletehOW can a book...be a traitor...?