in which she lives. (Wolfheim) Like Brave New World characters escaping from reality through the useof soma, Montag's wife, and many other characters, escape through watchinga sophisticated form of television. This television system covers three ofthe walls of the Montag's TV room (they can't afford to buy the screen tocover the fourth wall), has a control unit that allows the watchers tointeract with the characters on the program and another unit that insertsMrs. Montag's name into specific places, thus creating the image they thecharacters are actually conversing with them. Montag's wife, having only afew friends and ones she rarely sees, spends much of her day in this room,watching a program called "The Family", a government sponsored program thatshows the viewers what life at home should be like. The problem with this is that Montag's wife takes the program as asubstitute for reality. She is almost addicted to the program, much aspeople were with soma in Brave New World. Bradbury uses this televisionand it's programs as a way of showing the escape he is worried people willlook for in the future. Without actively questioning society's values, heis concerned that people will look for ways to idly spend their time. But like Marx, Montag chooses not to take part in this addiction. Byabstaining, he can see the affects it's use has on the people around him,much as Marx and more importantly John the Savage saw in their culture.Both authors try to show that with life made easier by strong governmentcontrol and a lack of personal involvement people will no longer spendtheir time thinking, questioning or developing their own ideas. Through these various diversions from normal behavior in society, Marx,John the Savage and Guy Montag are able to see the truths behind thesocieties they live in and are able to learn about themselves. And thoughtheir discoveries meant that their lives would be changed forever, theauthors succe...
