How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #7
"George, you'll have to change your life. Like too many others, you've built it around creature comforts." (203)
Does it seem like David McClean is saying that "creature comforts" are the opposite of real satisfaction? We make fun of this story some, but we'll be honest, sometimes we like Facebook best when we've really had to hunt for a Wi-Fi connection. Sometimes we're satisfied by struggling.
Quote #8
"Now we're going to really start living. Instead of being handled and massaged, we're going to live." (235)
Does George want to have no massages? We don't like when one person says that no one should get massages. Our motto has always been "Massages for everyone." But at least Bradbury makes clear to us here that George totally agrees with David (in Quote #7). It's a moment of hope in an otherwise dreadful story.
Quote #9
"What prompted us to buy a nightmare?"
"Pride, money, foolishness." (245-6)
After World War II, Americans had more money to buy things, so consumerism became bigger and more public. So, if your neighbor bought a new car, you might want to buy a new car just to keep up with the Joneses. That's part of why "pride" is a reason here. In other words, this is classic 1950s dissatisfaction. They buy things because they think they're supposed to, but of course those things don't do much when it comes to making these folks happy. (Things are totally different today, right? That's why we all wear sensible, off-brand clothes and no one judges anyone else by what they have.)