Editor's Choice
In Fahrenheit 451, which two characters attempt suicide, and how does each attempt affect Montag?
Quick answer:
Mildred attempts suicide by overdosing on pills, deeply affecting Montag as he discovers her unconscious and realizes the emptiness in their lives. This incident exposes the impersonal nature of their society through the indifferent hospital workers. Captain Beatty's actions can be seen as a form of suicide; he provokes Montag into killing him with a flamethrower. This reveals to Montag that Beatty, despite his authoritative facade, is profoundly unhappy, mirroring societal discontent.
Mildred is the first to attempt suicide. This attempt impacts Montag greatly because he discovers the empty bottle of pills and is left to deduce for himself that his wife attempted to take her own life. We also learn a lot about the society in general when the two hospital workers arrive and are depicted as quite impersonal.
Arguably, the only other attempt at suicide is Captain Beatty's. He doesn't quite kill himself (Montag murders him with a flame thrower) but he does nothing to protect himself from being killed and basically entices Montag to do it. This impacts Montag because he realizes that Beatty, like most others in this society, is also not happy, even though he tries to put up a very confident front.
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