Montag's developing interest in books and literature is unnerving and irritating to his wife, Mildred. But he really goes too far when Mildred's friends come to visit to watch White Clown on television (the parlour walls). Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles arrive while Montag is eating dinner. He is becoming increasingly upset with his society, the social addiction to parlour shows, and he feels the need to get out of his house.
He watches the show with them for a few moments. On the show, he sees the clowns chopping each other's limbs off and with this, Montag has had enough. So, he turns the shows off. "The three women turned slowly and looked with unconcealed irritation and then dislike at Montag." The women are annoyed but Montag keeps going. He tries to engage them in conversation. Montag doesn't like the way the conversation goes, so he starts to read poetry. Mrs. Bowles wants to leave. Mrs. Phelps encourages him to read so that they can be done with it and perhaps go back to watching the show. After reading "Dover Beach," Mrs. Phelps is crying and Mrs. Bowles says, "You see? I knew it, that's what I wanted to prove! I knew it would happen! I've always said, poetry and tears, poetry and suicide and crying and awful feelings, poetry and sickness; all that mush! Now I've had it proved to me. You're nasty, Mr. Montag, you're nasty!" Montag then kicks them out of his house.
All while this is happening, Faber is communicating with Montag through the ear piece. He is pleading with Montag to stop because the ladies might inform the authorities about what Montag is doing.
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