How does the mechanical hound work?
The Mechanical Hound is a robotic animal that firemen can deploy to hunt and catch fugitives. It can be trained and programmed to hunt its prey very quickly by smell. Once it catches its prey, the Hound injects the person with a sedative; unable to run, the drugged fugitive is easily captured.
How does the mechanical hound track people?
The Mechanical Hound has an olfactory system capable of memorizing and recognizing ten thousand odors and human scents that allow it to track down criminals. Once the Hound comes close to its prey, a four-inch hollow steel needle protrudes from its proboscis to stab its victim.
Why is the mechanical hound programmed to react to Montag?
-The hound has been programmed to react to Montag because he gave Beatty the suspicion that he was guilty of owning books, so Beatty programmed it to react to Montags chemical complex as a warning of what will happen if he doesn’t get rid of them.
What happened to the mechanical hound?
He escapes it by jumping in the river and then later by drinking the liquid that Granger gives him to disguise his scent. The hound goes back to the city and kills someone else so that the government can say that they caught Montag. That hound presumably gets destroyed when the city is bombed.
What does the mechanical hound represent?
The Hound represents government control and manipulation of technology. Originally, dogs served as the rescuers for firemen. They were given the job of sniffing out the injured or weak.
What is the mechanical hound similar to?
The mechanical hound doesn’t sleep, and lives in a kennel in the back of the firehouse. It is, ironically, described as constantly “gently humming.” Although it is called a hound, Montag compares it to a giant bee and it has eight legs like a spider (although it does growl like a dog).
What does the mechanical hound foreshadow?
In addition to the above description, the Mechanical Hound serves to foreshadow that Beatty is on to Montag. It can also symbolize the cruel and intolerant society in which Montag lives. Like Mildred when she watches TV or listens to her seashell, the Hound appears to be mindless and without a soul.
Is the mechanical hound dangerous?
The Hound represents one way technology is adapted to become harmful instead of beneficial; the Hound is a marvel of engineering but is used only to kill. Montag is inherently wary of the Hound, because he knows how easily it can kill: “No, no, boy,” said Montag, his heart pounding.
Who does the mechanical hound kill?
Captain Beatty
Why is the hound after Montag?
Essentially, Captain Beatty programs the Mechanical Hound to track and sniff around Montag’s apartment in order to dissuade him from stealing books and engaging in intellectual pursuits.