This novel was set into the distant future, so it was hard to compare this to history. Once again, I will compare it to the book burning during World War II. However, there are many relationships that are effected by the fact that this is the future. Some effected relationships were husband and wife and boss and worker. The husband-wife relationship is very effected by the censored world. Montag and Mildred are not affectionate toward each other at all. They barely seem to notice each other at times. Montag even admits that he does not truly love Mildred, who is a brainwashed boring blah. Mildred is basically an empty shell of a person, consumed in the brainwashed society. She was glued to the television and fears the fact that her husband is interested in literature.She does not seem concerned by the fact she turned in her husband to the firemen. She probably did not blink when she called the authorities. Montag wishes that he loved her, and even is emotional about the fact that he would not be upset if she died. This is sad because husbands and wives should love each other very much. The somewhat historical reference in this novel to this relationship is that in the future, people are just paired together and it does not matter if they like each other or not.
A second relationship in this novel is the boss and worker relationship. This is the relationship of Montag and Beatty. Beatty is very cruel and follows the rules exactly. This makes Montag's situation of wanting to let people read books very tough. Beatty wants Montag to come to his senses, but Montag is set on having books in his life. This is when Beatty thinks Montag should burn his house down to make him weak. This relationship is obviously not very good. Beatty likes the power he has over Montag and want to make him do things he does not have to do. Beatty likes the boss status he has over Montag. This is a reference to the history of the future because it shows how corrupted the world has become. If a boss can abuse his workers, it is a very cruel world.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.
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