What Does Fire Symbolize In Fahrenheit 451

According to ancient Greek mythology, it is Prometheus who first gives man fire. He defies Zeus and the other gods by doing so. His seemingly simple act starts immense change and destruction, which eventually results in Prometheus’ own suffering. Similarly, Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 uses the dangerous element as a symbol. Fire is a recurring motif of the book and appears with Montag when there is trouble or change. By examining the novel and its deeper meaning, Bradbury provides the reader with two different meanings of fire: the element represents both powerful destruction and beautiful creation. After all, destruction cannot exist without creation, and life cannot exist without death.

The most prominent use of fire within the novel
is its destructive capacity. The reader is first exposed to this meaning in the beginning of the book: "It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see thing eaten, to see things blackened and changed (1).” As the first sentences in Bradbury's novel, the audience learns about the protagonist's fascination with fire. Montag's deep love for fire's destruction not only describes his occupation and background, but his lack of care for what he burns; he never faltered in his need to burn. The audience is also told how Montag and many of the other characters in the book see fire; materials were not just burned and destroyed, they were poetically changed and "eaten." This illustrates how the entire society, not only Montag, views the fire as a destructive and beautiful power.
Later on, Bradbury expresses the greatest destruction of fire with a graphic and gruesome description. After burning the books and his home, Montag kills Beatty, shooting a spout of fire at the chief until " he was a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling gibbering manikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn (113).” Montag decides at this point in the book to use the full extent of fire's terrible power to murder a human being. This is the last stage in Montag's transformation; he no longer values the people he respects. Like the fire, Beatty tries to destroy and burn all the conviction Montag has in his decision to fight against society. Montag finally uses that fire by burning Beatty to ultimately destroy the last bit of his once normal life. The fire both literally destroys everything he has and metaphorically
destroys the last bit of hope Montag has for changing the world and the society he is living in. Montag literally destroys every last drop of hope with the fire, and for several hours is unforgiving of the fire's destruction. Finally, Bradbury uses the myth of the Phoenix to reveal the final symbol of fire as a destructive force. Granger, a character in the novel, describes a “silly bird called a Phoenix back before Christ,” who “every few hundred years built a pyre and burned himself up.” Granger goes on to make a satirical comment that the Phoenix “must have been first cousin to Man (156).” The Phoenix is addicted to destroying himself with fire, but according to Granger, humanity has the same habit. He is referring to civilizations’ ability to quickly rise and fall out of power.

Despite Bradbury's use of fire to represent immense destruction, the element can also change, create, and give hope.
Once again the Phoenix is a splendid example for this change and creation. Granger compares the creature to the nature of civilization, saying, "But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again (156).” For the Phoenix that Granger refers to, the fire is a chance to start again; the fire creates a new beginning. Instead of destroying him, the fire creates a new Phoenix, one that can get up and try again. The same analogy is used for humanity. Often the best way to start over - create a new beginning - is by burning the old. Civilizations all over the world burn so that new ones can be created. Another example of change and creation comes from the beginning of the book, and is where Montag first meets Clarisse. He describes her face “with a soft and constant light in it. It was not the hysterical light of electricity but – what? But the strangely comfortable and rare and gently flattering light of the candle (5).” Although this is not the most obvious or significant point of fire’s creative power, it is the one with the most lasting effect. It is inferred that Montag is squirreling books for many years, but he does nothing about it until he meets Clarisse. The candle Montag notices finally pushes him to do something about the society. Candles are also commonly associated with hope, a single flicker of flame from
a fire which gives immense hope. Montag learns about this hope when he flees from the Hound and finds the group of men in the wilderness. The fire he sees "was not burning, it was warming (139).” Montag knows how destructive fire is; as a fireman he is constantly dealing with the power of fire. Instead, the fire in the center of the group, the same element that so many people fear, including Montag, is drawing in the men that huddle around it. This is something Montag has never seen: the gentle and calming effect of fire. It is no wonder that after Montag learns about the power fire has to create and change, he decides to finally do what is right.

In the end, Bradbury's unique and haunting story tries to warn the civilizations of man about the folly of dependence on technology and the inevitable destruction that this dependence will cause. By using the powerful element of fire, Bradbury reveals both the destructive and creative qualities through his symbolism. Whether the author is trying to show the destruction that fire has on civilization or the creation it can invoke is debatable; each reader is able to take whatever they wish from the deeper meaning of the text, and each person looks at the world in a different way. However, fire is determined to be a developed character. Through examining the symbolism of the element, the novel creates a more poetic and powerful message that any person willing to look for it can enjoy.