Preview

Fire Symbolism In Fahrenheit 451

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
983 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Fire Symbolism In Fahrenheit 451
In his book Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury writes about a dystopian society where fire significantly factors into the story. Bradbury does this by changing Montag’s perception of fire throughout the novel. In the beginning of the novel Montag’s understanding of fire is destructive. However, towards the end of the novel Montag’s understanding of fire begins to transition from taking into giving. In Fahrenheit 451, fire also captures both destruction and renewal when Granger talks about at the Phoenix being a major symbol for renewal and destruction at the end of the novel.
The title of the first section of Fahrenheit 451, The Hearth and the Salamander references to the symbolism of fire in the novel. A hearth is the floor of a fireplace where
…show more content…
Ray Bradbury especially does with the symbolism of fire by putting clever titles for the sections as we see him do in section one of The Hearth and the Salamander, changing Montag’s perception of fire, and having fire capture both destruction and renewal when he brings the topic of the mythical bird Phoenix.The title of the first section of Fahrenheit 451, In the title of “The Hearth and the Salamander” the hearth references to the floor of a fireplace where people bond and build relationships on it and “the Salamander” is also associated with the firemen’s uniforms and fire truck. in the novel wear salamanders on their uniforms and the firemen also call their fire truck a “salamander.” Montag’s understanding of fire also factors into the story because fire play the role of a destructive, devouring, and life ending force, and the role of a nourishing flame where people used it for warmth. Montag also finds an alternative to seeing fire as a destructive force when he sees the fire warming instead of burning which helps him realize that fire can give as well as take away. The Phoenix that Granger mentions at the end of the novel is the epitome of fire being both destructive and renewing. Fire is an interesting theme in Fahrenheit 451 because it significantly factors into the novel and the meaning of it changes as you read

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Fahrenheit 451 is a novel inanimate objects that serve important purposes that tie to the theme of the book. Fire is one of many inanimate objects in this novel. At the beginning fires purpose is destruction to destroy the outlawed books from people in this society. Then it brings the firemen pleasure when the burn stuff by seeing it turn dark brown and then black, from perfectly fine to ashes. Then at the end it brings Montog comfort and warmth when he was running from the hound.…

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ray Bradbury’s timeless classic, Fahrenheit 451, is divided into three sections. The title of each section has a meaning relevant to the story. The first section being, “The Hearth and the Salamander” also has a significance. When fire was first discovered, it was used for good things, like for warmth, cooking food, etc. for those people, fire was essentially a savior, and it represented comfort and survival. Hence, the hearth also represents how fire was formerly used and seen as good. The hearth, also a traditional symbol of the home, represents Montag’s home life, his relationship with Mildred, the parlor, and Clarisse. At the start of Fahrenheit 451 the hearth, or fireplace, is know for giving warmth and goodness. In the beginning of the novel, fire is described as positive and non-destructive.…

    • 790 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel by Dickens, there are several incidences where fire is used in a symbolic way. The fire at Miss Havisham’s home in chapter VIII, 45 was extinguished. Miss Havisham went past the fires that had been extinguished, to the stairs and past a gallery. She looked as though she was ascending into the sky. This is symbolic of the passion that she had. The fires were extinguished meaning that her passion had faded. Miss Havisham, was slowly wasting away.…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In "Fahrenheit 451", fire is the symbol of both mindless and brutal destruction, and is also an opportunity to cleanse and rebuild, to start over again. In Montag's society, people use fire as the main force of destruction, not only of books, but of independent thinking and rebellion. They burn books, and they also use fire to snuff out and destroy people's ability to use books to help them to think on their…

    • 74 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Warmth, heat, anger, destruction, rage, devastation, death, cleanser, survival, passion, desire, power, energy, colorful, beautiful, magical, quick-movement, flamboyant, bright. These thoughts or connotations and many others have crept into the minds of many whilst they were gazing at the lively bursts of the fire as it dances. Many feel a sense of safety from the warmth given off by the fire; others only see it as wild and uncontrollable. Although, all of these connotations and many more exist, yet, the main context in which fire is used in “Barn Burning” is as a way to represent Abner’s lack of power through self-expression.…

    • 1268 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury we see a world where books and knowledge is no more and where the destruction of all books is handled by Firefighters. Reading through the novel you are taken through the life of Guy Montag a Firefighter who has lost his hope on his profession and wants to find a meaningful way to live his life. Through a quest to find knowledge, going against his profession Montag starts preserving and reading books instead of burning them. This causes an immense amount of trouble for him causing him to have to flee the city to find refuge with a group of exiled professors who will in time give Montag a new outlook on books and knowledge. Fire is a major symbol and plays a major role in the way Montag…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Brontë uses fire to represent uncontrollable passion. This passion first manifests itself in Jane’s upbringing with the Reeds. Mrs. Reed looks on Jane “as a compound of virulent passions, mean spirit, and dangerous duplicity.” (22) Passion is reintroduced in the dreary setting of Lowood with Jane’s highly religious friend, Helen Burns. In the scene of her death, although Helen is described as “cold and thin,” she is burning with passionate faith in God. (96) Helen is the one to spark Jane’s interest in religion. Fire is again introduced—in the literal sense— after Jane’s arrival to Thornfield.…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “What is there about fire that’s so lovely?… It’s perpetual motion; the thing man wanted to invent but never did… What is fire?…Its real beauty is that is destroys responsibility and consequences…clean quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, practical” (Bradbury 115).…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Hearth and the Salamander, the first in the trilogy of sections in Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag goes through a period of curiosity and discovery. This is when he takes a book from a house he is burning, unbeknown to the other workers. For the next day or two, he attempts reading this book as well as several others with Mildred, while he has “called in sick” to work. Subsequently, Captain Beatty suspects what Montag is really doing and pays a visit to his home. “I’ve seen it all. You were going to call for a night off (page 53).” While receiving a lengthy lecture from Beatty, Montag is certainly nervous, but maintains his dignity and composure. Beatty says, “Every fireman, sooner or later, hits this. They only need understanding, to know how the wheels run. Need to know the history of our profession (page 53).” The anxious fireman demonstrates bravery, because the book was like a “loaded gun” behind him, under his pillow. He is passionate and nonconformist because he stands his ground and doesn’t surrender his book, even though Beatty is manipulative and overbearing.…

    • 576 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Fahrenheit 451 create fires in order to destroy books as well as the knowledge, individuality, and…

    • 1253 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The most important symbols were of and about fire. They were about burning, fire, and the title itself, Fahrenheit 451. The fire represented a characteristic of Montag's inner depths. The title of the book represents the temperature at when books burn, and from another perspective, it shows up to what point the books can take censorship until they are eliminated. The fire was a part of Montag toward the beginning of the novel. It wanted to 'purify' him from thoughts of books and differing or conflicting opinions. In the opening chapter of the book, after doing a routine burning of books his feelings are as follows:…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Secondly, Bradbury uses the symbol of the Phoenix most predominately to refer to a rebirth in the city (literally after its destruction) and to the value, or lack of value, books have to Montag’s futuristic society. Through Granger’s thoughts, Bradbury expresses the similarities between Man and the Phoenix; “There was a silly damn bird called a phoenix…every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again…must have been first cousin to Man”. The comparison between Man and the Phoenix is effective because it gives the reader a sense of self-renewed hope for mankind, especially since Man can remember the mistakes that he has made and hope to learn from them in the future. In Fahrenheit 451, Granger is not the only character that takes each breathe for the sole purpose of continuing his quest for change. Montag, Clarisse, and Faber all dislike the “status-quo” of society and strive to end it.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fire is used to suggest that destroying history makes people happy because it hides and uncomfortable past. “It was a pleasure to burn,” (3) this was the first sentence in the book Fahrenheit 451. In the story, Montag was a fireman. He started books on fire to burn away all the history. The history was hidden because it provoked new ideas and thoughts that made people unique. These people did not fit into the Government's perfect mold. When Montag the main character, met a young girl named Clarisse, she asked him, “Are you happy? He was not happy. Montag was stuck inside this fake world where everyone was brainwashed and told what to think. He wanted to…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Dialectic Journal The Road

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages

    fire” is used in the book to demonstrate that no matter how hungry, powerless, or tired the boy…

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    First, burning is an important symbol in the novel. The beginning of Fahrenheit 451 begins with, “it was a pleasure to burn. It was a pleasure to see things blackened and changed” (3). Burning rouses the “consequences of unharnessed technology and contemporary man’s contented refusal to acknowledge these consequences” (Watt 1). In these first two sentences he creates a sense of curiosity and irony because in the story change is something controlled and unwanted by the government and society, so it is very unlikely that anything in Guy…

    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays