Dover Beach/fahrenheit Comparison

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 10th grade September 2001

download word file, 2 pages 0.0

Downloaded 5134 times

Dover Beach "Dover Beach", by Matthew Arnold, is a poem dealing with love in which a man speaks to a woman. It begins on the beach when the sea is calm, the tide is full, and the moon lies fair upon the straits. Nothing changes, unless you want change. Long ago there was faith, but today everything is boring and the same. He wants change, but finds it hard to do so. "Dover Beach" and Fahrenheit 451 are related in that both deal with a world where there is no peace or joy among the people.

In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag lived in a world similar to "Dover Beach". Everybody acts the same and those who were different or not part of the mass culture were treated unfairly. Everyday he was becoming more and more dissatisfied with his life. He didn't like the fact the he and his wife, Mildred, did not have any kind of relationship and rarely spoke.

Each day when he came home, his wife was either watching TV or listening to the radio neglecting everything else. Mildred was only concerned about her TV and could care less what happened to Guy. Later a girl named Clarisse opens his eyes to the emptiness of his life. After meeting her he decides he wants to change, and starts by reading books. "She was quite obviously waiting for him [Montag] to go." (20). Mildred did not feel comfortable whenever Montag was around too long. All she thought about was when she could watch TV on her parlor walls. "First, why don't you tell me if she'll be all right?" "Sure, she'll be okay." "Neither of you is an M.D. Why didn't they send an M.D from Emergency?" "Hell!" (15). Nobody in this world really cared for anyone else. There was no love between the technicians and Montag. They just wanted to get their job done and get out of there. "Oh, they don't miss me," she said. "I'm antisocial, they say. I don't mix. It's so strange. I'm very social, indeed." (29). Clarisse was not liked at all among her peers. They considered her antisocial since she talked so much and was very social. In this world you had to be quiet and not socialize with anyone to be normal and fit in with others.

"Oh they come and go, come and go," said Mrs. Phelps. "I'm not worried. I'll let Pete do all the worrying." She giggled. "I'll let old Pete do all the worrying. Not me. I'm not worried." (94). Mrs. Phelps shows that she is not worried about what happens in the war to Pete. Pete just comes and goes as she describes it. She'll let Pete do all the worrying and she won't even think about it. She is like everybody else in the world of Fahrenheit 451, self-centered, and without a care in the world what is happening elsewhere.

"Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, where ignorant armies clash by night." (Last line). In both "Dover Beach" and Fahrenheit 451, there is a war going on. Nobody cares or has any love for anyone else. Mildred did not feel comfortable around her own husband. Mrs. Phelps wasn't even concerned for her husband who was at war. The two worlds are related in which they both don't have peace or love among the people. Without peace or love there will be no joy for the people.