Part Two: The Sieve and The Sand

Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand
1) What is striking about what Mrs. Phelps & Mrs. Bowles say and feel about their
husbands? (p90-91)
In the book Fahrenheit 451, when Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles discuss their
husbands, their remarks reveal a striking lack of emotional attachment and empathy.
Mrs. Phelps casually mentions that her husband is part of the army and could die in a
war, but she doesn't seem to be worried or affected by this possibility. Mrs. Bowles,
on the other hand, shares her disdain for her husband and talks about her multiple
marriages and divorces. Their lack of concern and emotional connection to their
spouses highlights their detachment from deep relationships and the superficial
nature of human connections in this dystopian society.
2) Comment on the women’s views on children and politics. (p92-93)
The women's views on children and politics further emphasize their shallow
perspectives and the disconnection they have from core human experiences. Mrs.
Phelps and Mrs. Bowles see children as a burden and nuisances that can be managed
with minimal interaction, using technology like TV parlours or institutions like
schools to keep them occupied. They take no interest in nurturing or raising their
children, treating them almost like inconveniences. As for politics, the women's
opinions are based on superficial qualities, like the appearance of political
candidates, rather than their policies or ideas. This lack of interest in the substance
of politics reflects the society's general disinterest in critical thinking and meaningful
discourse.
3) Montag reads ‘Dover Beach’ to the women when he is disgusted by their glibness,
shallowness and ignorance in conversation.
Montag's decision to read "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold to the women is a

powerful moment in the story. He is repulsed by their shallow, ignorant conversation
and seeks to expose them to the beauty and depth of poetry in an attempt to
awaken some semblance of emotional connection or intellectual curiosity. The poem
itself speaks of a world losing its faith and connection to beauty, which mirrors the
dystopian society Montag inhabits. However, instead of inspiring the women, his
recitation only upsets and confuses them, further emphasizing the vast divide
between Montag's growing desire for knowledge and the empty, thoughtless
existence of the people around him.
Dover Beach – Background
Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) wrote "Dover Beach" during or shortly after a visit he
and his wife made to the Dover region of southeastern England, the setting of the
poem, in 1851. They had married in June of that year.
The town of Dover is closer to France than any other portcity in England. The body of
water separatingthe coastline of thetown from the coast of France is the Strait of
Dover, north of the English Channel and south of the North Sea.
The sea is calm tonight.

The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.
Sophocles long ago

Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.
The Sea of Faith

Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
POETRY ANALYSIS
a) What is the speaker doing?

In "Dover Beach," the speaker is observing the calm sea at night, contemplating the
sound of the waves, and reflecting on the nature of human existence and
relationships. The speaker then addresses their lover, urging them to be true to one
another in a world that seems to lack certainty and genuine connections.
b) The speaker uses the idiom “ebb and flow,” which is an expression often associated
with the sea, to describe human misery in stanza 1. What does this expression
mean? Use contextual clues to develop your explanation.
The expression "ebb and flow" refers to the cyclical movement of the sea, with tides
rising and falling. In the context of the poem, the speaker uses the phrase to
describe human misery, suggesting that suffering is a natural and recurring part of
human life, much like the tides. The comparison implies that human misery is
constant and unavoidable, with moments of happiness and sadness constantly
shifting.
c) What metaphor is the speaker using in stanza 3? Explain why this choice works.
In stanza 3, the speaker uses the metaphor of the "Sea of Faith" to represent
religious faith or a sense of spiritual connection. The metaphor works effectively
because it conveys the idea that faith, like the sea, was once vast, powerful, and all-
encompassing. The speaker laments the decline of faith, which has become like a
"melancholy, long, withdrawing roar," suggesting that the world has lost a sense of
shared belief and unity.
d) The poem is written in free verse with no particular meter or rhyme scheme,
although some of the words do rhyme. There are also some sound devices. Note
those, and then discuss the significance of the poet’s structure and style choices.
"Dover Beach" is written in free verse, which allows the poet to use varying line
lengths and rhythms to create a more natural, conversational tone. Some words do
rhyme, such as "fair" and "air" in the first stanza, which adds a sense of harmony to
the poem. There are also sound devices, such as alliteration ("long line of spray") and
onomatopoeia ("grating roar"). The poet's structure and style choices contribute to
the overall atmosphere of the poem, with the free verse and sound devices creating
a sense of fluidity and movement that mirrors the ebb and flow of the sea.
e) How does the poem describe society in Fahrenheit 451? Why do you think Mrs.
Phelps cries upon hearing it?
The poem's description of a world with "neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor
certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain" can be seen as a reflection of the society in
Fahrenheit 451, where genuine connections and intellectual pursuits are suppressed
in favor of superficial entertainment and conformity. The sense of struggle and
confusion in the poem ("confused alarms of struggle and flight") also mirrors the
internal conflict that Montag experiences as he questions the values and beliefs of
his society. Mrs. Phelps might cry upon hearing the poem because it touches upon
deep emotions and truths that she has been avoiding or has been unable to
acknowledge in her shallow, disconnected life. The poem serves as a stark contrast
to the empty, unfeeling conversations she is used to and forces her to confront the
reality of her existence.

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Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand

2) Comment on the women’s views on children and politics. (p92-93)

Montag's decision to read "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold to the women is a

The sea is calm tonight.

Sophocles long ago

The Sea of Faith

a) What is the speaker doing?

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