Precarious Language In 'Denham's Dentrifice'

Bradbury's precarious language in the “Denham’s Dentrifice” scene is where his strong writing style is most noticeable and his form of desperate, fast-paced thinking is clearly shown in his content. Bradbury makes this point very clear in the scene on the train because his words showed that Montag was unable to think or concentrate. Bradbury’s use of the repeated words, “shut up,” shows that he was upset and exasperated even though the other people on the train were happy with the "Denham's Dentrifice" jingle. The flat side-characters on the train knew the words and were even tapping their feet, meanwhile Montag was unable to think past a single line in the bible. Bradbury's short, choppy sentences combined with his run-on sentence
gives the reader the feeling of sheer anger and confusion. Overall hopelessness and exasperation is shown in his words when Bradbury says, "Shut up, thought Montag. Consider the lilies of the field…they toil not-…consider the lilies of the field, shut up, shut up." Bradbury's arrangement of words helps the reader build the idea of what Montag both looks and feels like. The imagery Bradbury feeds us is almost scary when you picture how insane Montag would look when Bradbury states Montag stood up and made a, “cry so terrible that,” he was brought to his feet. The strong and desperate words that Bradbury uses shows readers that Montag is infuriated that he is unknown to the limits of reality, and that he is inadequate and naïve in thinking he is prepared for memorizing the bible. Bradbury is using imagery to show us how overly lost and scary Montag is when we realize he is out in public waving a book around in his hands with all those people on the train.