Friday, August 7, 2009

In Fahrenheit 451, what does Montag mean when he says that he wants to hold onto the world?

Montag has undergone a profound transformation. For much of his life, he had been a passive, thoughtless citizen who took satisfaction in doing what he was told. Over the course of the events with Clarisse and Faber, Montag has changed completely. He is no longer an automaton, simply acting out the orders of his superiors. He is now an agent with free will. He intends to experience the world as much as possible and with little to no interference from any authority or outside influence. 



Look at the world out there, my God, my God, look at it out there, outside me, out there beyond my face and the only way to really touch it is to put it where it's finally me, where it's in the blood, where it pumps around a thousand times ten thousand a day. I get hold of it so it'll never run off. I'll hold on to the world tight some day. I've got one finger on it now; that's a beginning. 



He says he will he will hold on to the world "some day." What he means is that he has only just begun to apprehend and observe the world with this new, willing, fresh perspective. Just as he had been doing with Faber, he will have to continue to learn to think more speculatively and creatively. He will likewise have to continue observing the world and more genuinely and compassionately interacting with others. This will all be a learning process. And then, "some day," he will really be able to understand the world. He will then be able to hold on to it: to fully "grasp" it. But at this point, he is a novice; he is just beginning. 

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