In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, symbolism is used all throughout the story.
Not only is it the title of Part 1 of the story, but they are also the two most important symbols used by Bradbury: The Hearth and the Salamander. Each of these symbols have a significant relation to fire. The hearth symbolizes a fireplace, providing comfort and warmth to those around. While the Salamander symbolizes the firemen because it is the official symbol for the firemen and is also the name they give to their fire trucks. The juxtaposition of both symbols in the title suggests a conflict between Montag’s work and home personalities.
The hearth and the salamander can represent a multitude of ideas. Mentioned earlier, …show more content…
Not far into the book, Montag meets Clarisse McClellan, a 17 year old free thinker who ponders the world around her. Clarisse’s odd personality and thoughts eventually gets Montag to start thinking about the world he lives in and causes him to question the reality of the emotionless world where he lives. She ‘awakened’ him, and he is now becoming part of the 3
“solution” for Montag and those who think like him. Montag and the others who have been awakened to the truth wish to take action, they no longer accept the reality imposed on them by the government, along with others who are scared to question society and why things are the way they are. Clarisse is responsible for sparking the change in Montag and she unknowingly sets him on a course that Montag does not want to abandon because it makes him feel alive and he is motivated to cause a change in the community.
Clarisse helped Montag realize that society is wrong, she makes him start to think about things he never would have imagined, Montag starts exploring and questioning things.