As Mrs. Phelps walked home, she thought about what had just happened at Montag's house. Guy had read her, Mrs. Bowels, and Mildred. Mildred had told them that it was okay, and that all firemen were allowed to take a book, but something felt wrong. Perhaps she shouldn't have encouraged Montag to read the poem. Why would the government let someone read them things that brought sadness to people. It didn't seem right. Mrs. Phelps wondered if she should call Chief Beatty and ask him to change this.
After she had heard that poem, Mrs. Phelps had started to have more emotions. It seemed to bring out her more human side. She wondered about her husband, Pete. She wondered if he would be okay. She'd started to worry about him. This had never happened before. What if this time, it was her husband who died. What if it wasn't someone else's husband this time. She knew that they had an agreement to not mourn each other, because it was their third marriage. He'd told her to get married again and not cry for him if he died at war, but it didn't feel right. She felt like she should care more for him. They were married, after all. She loved him, didn't she? Why would she marry him if she didn't? You were supposed to cry for those who you loved, right?
She had started to question the things that she was taught since she was born. She and her husband didn't even have any children. She knew she had said that she didn't want any chldren, but maybe she was changing her mind. She had some doubts about children, though. Mrs. Bowles had told them about only having her children home for three days a month. What was the point of having children if you only had three days a month to spend with them? Mrs. Beatty had also said that she just left her children in the parlor when they were home. So, even on days when the children weren't at school, she didn't spent time with them.
She didn't know why, but this made Mrs. Phelps very sad. Why didn't people talk. Maybe Montag was correct. Maybe people should have talked more. Maybe she should care about her family more. As she reached her house, she laughed. What was she thinking, the world was fine as it was. The poem must have just messed with her head a little. The government had made the right choices. Why should she question them?
I really liked your continuation of the story, especially how you went about it! I think your interpretation would have came really close to the author's, if he had wrote one. Mrs. Phelps was the one who cried when Montag read the poem, so it makes sense that she would question her society.
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