Pain

AN: An essay response to Fahrenheit 451 with the prompt: "What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." Nietzche How would you say that this quote could be applicable to the actions from the most recent part of the novel for Montag.

The quote by Nietzche, "What does not kill me, makes me stronger." Basically this states that you should try things that may be way out of your range but would help you out in the long run. The quote clearly resembles another saying, "If you don't try you'll never be able to do it." Montag has to make tough decisions and finally think for himself not just follow the orders he is given. Struggling through the pain is necessary to move on for the better.

Montag no longer know what he wants with his life. Mildred his wife betrays him and turns him in for having a book. It seems as though anyone he becomes close to either turns against him, get in some sort of trouble, or dies. Clarisse is killed, Mildred his own wife is completely against him, his friend Faber is stuck in trouble with Beatty, and Beatty his boss is the one who “punishes” him for disobeying the law. In the segment Montag has to deal with the pain of the loss of his wife, in the sense that she somewhat ditched him. There also is the physical pain he has to live with, from being shot in the leg and still having to carry on in his so called journey. The final pain he has to deal with is the pain of the unknown; Montag no longer knows who to turn to for help or shelter.

What makes Montag stronger is his will to go on, to continue through anything and everything. Montag does his job and struggles through his pain both physical and emotional. Letting himself fight through the pain all the way, it does not kill him. It only makes him stronger.

Vetran's Essay

"Does Patriotism still matter?" Patriotism was originated back around the time of the Revolutionary War when the colonies that created our country were beginning to rebel against England. Back then it was the Patriots against the Loyalists. Now it is the Patriots versus, well whatever country we may be up against. So the answer is yes, patriotism does in fact still matter.

Patriots are Americans. Patriotism is about your country, more specifically the love and devotion people have toward their country. To say patriotism doesn't matter would be ridiculous. Saying patriotism does not matter is the same as saying that our country's people do not love our country and they are not devoted to it. If the citizens of our country don’t think patriotism matters for our country now why are the living here in the most free country in the world? The answer is yes because they still do appreciate what we have now.

A better question would be when has patriotism not mattered? Although even that question has an answer of never, never has patriotism not mattered, it has always mattered. In wars patriotism matters, if it didn’t matter we would have never won any wars. If patriotism didn’t matter, wouldn’t the citizens of the United States of America just turn against it and not keep it the wonderful way it is now?

Patriotism; yes it still matters. It will matter as long as the United States is a country. As long as the States still have people in their own Army. Through and through the love and devotion to and for our country has always prevailed. The concept of patriotism has always mattered and will always matter it is part of the U.S.A.’s past, present, and future. This is why patriotism still is important and matters to all of the Americans.