Symbolism in Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury is a futuristic novel, taking the reader to a time where books and thinking are outlawed. In a time so dreadful where those who want to better themselves by thinking, and by reading are outlaws as well. Books and ideas are burned, books are burned physically, where as ideas are burned from the mind. Bradbury uses literary devices, such as symbolism, but it is the idea he wants to convey that makes this novel so devastating. Bradbury warns us of what may happen if we stop expressing our ideas, and we let people take away our books, and thoughts. Bradbury notices what has been going on in the world, with regards to censorship, and book burning in Germany, and McCarthyism in America. That is what he is speaking out against. Bradbury is also a very symbolic writer; he incorporates symbolism into his book. Bradbury's use of symbolism throughout the novel makes the book moving and powerful by using symbolism to reinforce the ideas of anti-censorship. The Hearth and the Salamander, the title of part one, is the first example of symbolism. The title suggests two things having to do with fire; the hearth is a source of warmth and goodness, showing the positive, non-destructive side of fire, whereas a salam
It is not until the very end that Guy realizes that fire does not have to be destructive, it can be good, and provide you with warmth, and security. Beatty has taught Guy that fire is the solution to everything, it destroys books, and us, and depending on experiences, it could be positive or negative. They are memorizing the books, and passing them along by word of mouth, and then they are placing the books in the campfire, and letting their power be released. " Fire is another great example of symbolism. We know all the silly things we've done for a thousand years and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, some day we'll stop making funeral fires and jumping in the middle of them. Beatty symbolically drives a Phoenix car. And it looks like we're doing the same thing, over and over, but we've got one thing the Phoenix never had. Beatty, it destroyed Montag's house, and in the end, it destroyed the city from which Montag barely escaped. The Phoenix symbolizes the rebirth after destruction by fire, only to get burnt, and be destroyed again. The campfire is no longer destruction, it is providing warmth for them, but they are still burning books. But a Phoenix is "reborn" only to get burnt and destroyed, again. He associates fire with good when he meets the rest of the escapees, in the secret camp, because they are all sitting around a campfire sharing ideas, and reading. "There was a silly bird called a Phoenix back before Christ, every few hundred years he built a fire and burnt himself up.
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