Fahrenheit 451 Section Title Analysis

The Hearth and the Salamander is the title of the first section of Fahrenheit 451. The meaning of The Hearth and the Salamander can be symbolic and straight forward. The word “hearth” is a brick/stone fireplace, often with an oven, used for heating and originally also used for cooking food. Since the hearth is usually a home’s central and most important feature, which the concept has been generalized to refer to the household, as "hearth and home" and "keep the home fires burning". The salamander is one of the official symbols of the firemen in the book, as well as what they call their fire trucks. There are ancient beliefs that salamanders live in fire and is unaffected by flames. Both of these symbols are related to fire, the image that dominated Guy Montag’s life. The opening chapters of Fahrenheit 451 talk about how being a fireman effects Montag’s life, especially after meeting Clarisse McClellan who, along with her family, lives a lifestyle that is unlawful for their time. The books that Montag and the rest of the fire department burn keeps people from knowing about the old fashion way of living that Clarisse and her folks take part of. This old fashion way the books refer to is the way we live today. Montag’s hearth (home) is greatly affected by salamander style of living he lives by. The two (Hearth and the Salamander) go hand in hand in the story. Montag begins to doubt his profession and become more understanding towards those who want to live the old way.
The Sieve and the Sand is a very straightforward and symbolic title. It refers to two events in Montag’s life that are being compared through the reader’s interpretation. As a child Guy’s mischievous cousin challenged him to fill a sieve full of beach sand in exchange for a dime. A sieve is a kitchen tool used to separate lumps from powdered material, straining liquids, grading particles, it usually has a container with small holes in the bottom through which the material is shaken or poured so of