The first time the TV walls are mentioned is when Montag meets Clarisse. Clarisse shares the fact that she is an atypical person in this society almost immediately, but cements that fact by stating, "I rarely watch the 'parlour walls' or go to races or Fun Parks. So I've lots of time for crazy thoughts, I guess." (3) The fact that Clarisse doesn't watch TV like everyone else is something that allows her the time to think, which sets her apart from almost everyone else, since they appear to be addicted to technology.
Another instance where the parlour walls are mentioned is when Mildred, Montag's wife, begins discussing her plans for the day with Montag after her suicide attempt from the night before. She's clearly much more comfortable with discussing the script for the upcoming TV show than discussing what occurred:
She was quite obviously waiting for him to go. "I didn't do that," she said. "Never in a billion years." "All right if you say so," he said. "That's what the lady said." She turned back to her script. "What's on this afternoon?" he asked tiredly. She didn't look up from her script again. "Well, this play comes on the wall-to-wall circuit in ten minutes. They mailed me my part this morning..." (9)
Later on during this scene, Mildred begins to question Montag as to when they can get the fourth parlour wall put in, despite the expense. Even though Montag states that the cost of the parlour wall is a third of his yearly salary, Mildred doesn't seem to care:
"How long you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall-TV put in? It's only two thousand dollars." "That's one-third of my yearly pay." "It's only two thousand dollars," she replied. "And I should think you'd consider me sometimes." (9)
The addictive properties of technology are something that many studies are beginning to highlight today, but Bradbury wrote about how technology was going to affect people and their daily lives long before it actually occurred. At one point Montag even begins to think about how technology (and the parlour walls) have come between him and his wife. "Well, wasn't there a wall between him and Mildred, when you came down to it? Literally not just one wall but, so far, three! And expensive, too!" (20) Montag has begun to think that the parlour walls and technology are separating people from each other, instead of bringing them closer together and facilitating happiness. It serves to highlight a major change in his character.
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