Part 2 the sieve and the sand

Mildren dislikes reading the books that Montag keep in the ventilator because they do not interact with her...... she says they aren't "people".

Mildred kicked at a book. "Books aren't people. You read and I look around, but there isn't anybody!"

He stared at the parlour that was dead and grey as the waters of an ocean that might teem with life if they switched on the electronic sun.

"Now," said Mildred, "my `family' is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh!