"Are you happy?" she said. "What?" he cried. But she was gone… That was only the beginning of what appears to be a plethora of emotions that ride Montag like a young female teenager who has just been dumped. He goes through the all too familiar stages of irritation, denial, confusion, self actualization and despair in response to such a simple question. This episode is one of the most important events that strangely foreshadows and causes the uncertain future to come in the book Fahrenheit 451.

"Happy! Of all the nonsense." He stopped laughing. Up until that point, Montag was joking and laughing with Clarisse but now he didn't find the incident so amusing anymore. His use of words seem to imply that he was being defensive, and the laughing ceased due to the irritation from being insulted. Insulted you say? "Yes," diagnosed the chicken (Wait!! Who's the chicken!?!). I gasped, "how did she do that?" She insinuated that he was a lying. Montag's irritation was a mask of defense.

Why did he need a mask? Because he was then experiencing the anxiety in denial. It's like when the girl says "he said it's over? He doesn't know what he's talking about." Montag was clearly caught lying to himself, and blatantly attempted to deny it by announcing the accusation as "nonsense." He grasped on to his denial by adding "of course I'm happy. What does she
think? I'm not?" Murmuring his false response long after Clarisse was long gone, trying to convince the audience of one, himself.

Have you ever lied with so much conviction that you began to believe yourself, and then sometime later rationality reminds you of the truth? Well, "what?" asked Montag of the other self. is Montag thawing to the truth. And as the chicken defrosted in cold water, he was beginning to ask himself what the truth really was. Masquerading his lie for so long only led to his confusion. I then decided to request the chicken for dinner. The girl then says " It's not really over yet, right?"

Oh look, it's time to cook the chicken (so that's who the chicken is)! He felt his smile slide away, melt, fold over… The truth finally sunk in and there was no turning back for Montag; for he had reached the stage of self actualization. The girl responds with "we really are over, aren't we," as she walks away in defeat. and now collapsing and now blown out. Darkness. All that's left for Montag now was the realization of not being happy, ending of this episode in despair. There was no more lying or pretending for Montag. He admitted the loss of his mask and walked willingly into the darkness. Since the chicken was now spoiled, I waved goodbye.

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