Permanent

Author's Note: This is about Beatty's death in the book Fahrenheit 451. the main character is Guy Montag. This essay is also talking about what Montag is going through in the book. Please read and comment on it!!!


I walk through the silent tombstones. Forever silent, like the people buried below. A ways off people cry and are dressed in black, looking at a pale, dead body. Another person silent, still, and never to wake and greet their family again. The gray headstones, deeply carved with a name, each with a story to tell. Montag the main character in Fahrenheit 451 struggles after he ends his bosses life. Death can’t be taken back and it should be respected. You only get one life and death can end it in a second.

The death of Beatty was unexpected yet you get the feeling of what is about to happen. Montag is going through a lot but Beatty makes it worse because he knows what Montag is going through. Beatty knows that Montag is hiding books. He just doesn't do anything about it because he thinks Montag will burn them eventually. When Beatty is describing how quotes and words don't matter Montag gets angry because he knows that they do. Beatty tells Montag to burn all his problems, so he does. Montag's problem was Beatty, so he burned him. He then realized that Beatty knew he was going to die and he welcomed it. Afterwards Montag unconsciously walks towards Faber's house. The friendship between the two is strong. Though they met only a few days ago they are good friends. The fact that Faber will help Montag is what lets them trust each other and help one another.

Montag is troubled, confused, and in pain, and doesn't know where to turn. Betrayed by his wife, Clarisse killed, his friend at the stake of death. Montag kills Beatty thinking that all his problems have ended; but his problems and challenges have only just begun. This book, the perfect image of a dystopic world is in confusion and pain. No one trusts each other and really likes each other for that matter. True love, trust, loyalty, and all the things that mattered are gone. In Fahrenheit 451 the only thing that matters is getting wall TVs and racing cars. No one takes time to look at things anymore, unlike Clarisse who studied everything in the world. Only the death is on people’s minds.

Everyone fears death, some more than others. People fear of never coming home after work anymore, or never seeing your children or grandchildren again. The thing that most people fear though is never waking up again. Silence, after you leave the world, is all you will make again. Death is permanent and you can’t take it back.

Patriotism

Author's note: The prompt for this years Veteran's Essay is "Does patriotism still matter?" For the most part my essay is stating that yes patriotism still matters. Please read and comment!!


To answer the question, "Does patriotism still matter?" the answer is definitely yes. Patriotism is in everyone's lives even though you don't recognize it. It holds Americans together through thick and thin. Even now is an example of people showing patriotism. The economy is in trouble and people are helping neighbors and family even more than usual. People don't just give up and quit, well at least people shouldn't, they get up and try again.  Patriotism is in every American person and they shouldn't be afraid to show it.

The people that express their patriotism the most are the people in the army, navy, marines, and so on. Those people fight for our country when we need them the most. Right now the are fighting for us, trying to stop the terrorist attacks on the U.S. They started in 2001 when the terrorist crashed into the twin towers and they are still fighting nine years from then.  Even if you're not in the war fighting you still show patriotism in other ways like volunteering, donating to charities and any other way you help and support people. Patriots are all around you in your everyday life.

Patriotism still matters because it helps us stick together. No true patriot would walk out on its country and fellow people. If patriotism didn't matter then everything would be out of control. America wouldn't exist if it didn't matter anymore. There would be no patriot still loyal to America. We need patriotism to keep America alive and powerful. We are still powerful because of patriotism and if it didn't matter we wouldn't and everything would be in chaos.

So to sum up the question "Does patriotism still matter?", the answer is yes. If we matter and we didn't believe in it America would fall apart. In addition to that everyone loves America and patriotism is the key to that. We can't love America without being a patriot too.