How Does Bradbury Use Allusions In Literature

Allusions were used sporadically by Bradbury to help the reader use printed word to paint mental images. They can be defined rather simply, as they are merely a reference to a historical or contemporary, person, place, event, or work of literature, but they can help the story flow nonetheless. The first allusion was encountered when Montag approached the woman with books in “The Hearth and the Salamander” and she quoted ‘“‘Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.’”’ (Bradbury 33) It was later explained by Beatty that it was a reference to a man named Latimer, who said it “‘... to a man named Nicholas Ridley, as they were being burnt alive at Oxford… on October 16, 1555.’” (Bradbury 37) This foreshadowed her fiery demise, and the woman was well aware of this.
She was willing to burn with her books, similarly to how the men burnt together at the stake.
The woman was attached to her novels in the same fashion the men were fastened to the wooden pole, and they would fall as one. Allusions were also used in the context of historical events, as shown by Mildred-- “... Mildred ran from the parlor like a native fleeing an eruption of Vesuvius.” (Bradbury 89) The cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. was an incredibly perilous and disastrous event, forcing the residents of Pompeii to flee from every which way as their life was on the line. It was obvious to the reader that she was quite on edge due to her hasty manner that she had as she went to greet Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Phelps when they arrived. Mildred jumped to answer the door, disorganized, comparable to how the natives fled the
city. The last way Bradbury incorporated allusions into his work was the mention of an ancient myth during Beatty’s chat with Montag at the beginning of “Burning Bright”. He remarks that “‘Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damn wings, he wonders why.’” (107) As the story goes, Icarus’ father created artificial wings for himself and his son to use to escape their prison, but while Icarus escaped, he ignored his father’s warnings and flew too close to the sun which resulted in his wings melting and him plummeting into the sea. Montag ignored Beatty--and the rest of the firemen--and stole and stored books in his home. This decision was what lead to the burning of the entirety of his possessions, all because he did not obey the law. Both Montag and Icarus’ downfalls were a result of rebellion against their higher-ups. Through Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury cleverly used allusions that referenced people, events, and literature that enhanced the reading experience and helped the reader comprehend events throughout the book by relating them to things widely known in the real world.