Symbolism In Fahrenheit 451

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the author uses multiple motifs and symbols throughout the novel. The main character, Guy Montag, is represented as a metaphorical light in the dark due to his constant pursuit of knowledge. Characters such as Clarisse and Mildred affect the development of Montag. In Bradbury’s dystopian society he touches on the relevance of government censorship as books are banned. The firefighters burn down any household that houses books because of the government disapproves of them. Bradbury uses the motif darkness versus light to demonstrate that knowledge is what keeps society alive through Montag’s progressing characterization, Mildred’s persona, and continuous references to books.

Montag's out of body sensation while in the water also shows a relationship with the water, connecting back to how water is used as a symbol of purity and the beginning of a new life in the Christian faith. Montag now has a deep connection with water, instead of his previous infatuation with fire, which gave him pleasure to burn and destroy.

Montag is a brainwashed and simple-minded person like everyone else in the small community. Until he met Clarisse, she talked about how she's different from everyone else and that she saw he was too. They bonded together every now and then, and Clarisse which later on made him a different person. Montag looked around the neighborhood but didn’t find Clarisse, he started to ask questions which led to conflicting things and then realized that the world is being manipulated, one example from the story would be fire.

Also, why they didn 't send professional help instead of people (who we don 't know if they were qualified) with machines to essentially replace almost all the inner liquids of the body with new (from a stranger) liquids. Again, the question of why Mildred was trying to kill herself? I think this is one of the reasons why Montag is unhappy with life.

In my opinion, Montag went through a more mental than physical change. These changes in his mind mostly occurred because of the influence of individuals such as Clarisse. I think that the situation with the burning woman also influenced Montag’s change of mentality. Later in the novel after these people and situations came into play, Montag’s mind and reasoning were operating reverse of what they had in the beginning of the novel. I believe the biggest reason that Montag and his mind changed was because of Clarisse.

At the beginning of the novel, Montag, the protagonist, is a direct reflection of the society that the world has then become. The first symbol is seen, fire, and Bradbury portrays this element as destructive and negative. Montag, a fireman of an

In Montag 's case, he understands that he is unhappy with the way he is living, and he begins to rethink his ways of destruction. In like manner, a literary criticist, Rafeeq McGiveron, gives a good analysis of the character of Montag when he says that Montag has a “blithely clear and pathetically blank conscience” towards burning books until he relives his childhood through walks with Clarisse (p.6). Clearly, Clarisse tugged and Montag 's heart and helped him understand the heartlessness of burning books. Most definitely, it was Montag 's hand and not his brain or mind that was the true monster. In another example, the reader sees Montag 's private life during a conversation between he and Mildred, his wife, when she says, “when can we have a fourth wall television put in? It 's only two thousand dollars” and Montag responds by saying that two thousand dollars is one-third of his yearly pay (Bradbury 33). The example presented adds more depth to the grim life of the main character because Montag is married to a woman that is selfish and has no interest for any part of Montag 's life. Similarly, because Montag is faced with unhappiness in both his professional and private life, he is quick to accept the words of Clarisse that there is a better and brighter life possible for him. Overall, Bradbury successfully acomplishes a sense of sympathy for Guy Montag by revealing the

The second symbol we come across in the story is the hearth and the salamander. Both the hearth and the salamander symbolize fire. A hearth is the area around a fireplace, it is usually used as a symbol of someone’s home. A salamander is known to be able to endure or live in fire and not be harmed by it. We see salamander in the story as one of Montag’s tattoos and the name of his firetruck. Montag does not live unharmed by fire as he realizes how burning books has ruined his society and that his society has ruined his home (hearth) as shown by Mildred's dependence on TV and not communicating with Montag like a normal couple. Later in the book we are shown that the salamander is one of the official symbols of the firemen.

Ray Bradbury once stated, “I never consciously place symbolism in my writing. That would be a self-conscious exercise and self-consciousness is defeating to any creative act … During a lifetime, one saves up information which collects itself around centers in the mind; these automatically become symbols on a subliminal level and need only be summoned in the heat of writing.” (The Paris Review). Bradbury’s may not have consciously placed symbolism in Fahrenheit 451, but his use of symbolism throughout the story allows the reader to relate back to their most basic instincts, all while seeing a deeper meaning to what they are really looking at.

Fire, the symbol of warmth, destruction, and renewal, is a dominant image in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Guy Montag, the protagonist, lives in a grim, futuristic United States where people have given up books and knowledge in general for entertainment and instant gratification. The standard use of fire to warm and heat has been replaced to be used for destruction and entertainment. Montag’s job as a fireman clearly shows this, as he is required to burn books and houses. Montag’s understanding of fire and burning as destruction is completely reversed by the end of the book when he regards it as a symbol of warmth and renewal.

Montag sees the potential in books and can’t keep these rising feelings to himself. Just as the song describes, Montag was wearing a mask and posing to be something he’s not until Clarisse openes his eyes to a new world. The song later says,

In conclusion, there are several scenes in the novel which depict the above meanings. However, the ones written above describe this the strongest. Overall, Mildred Montag symbolizes the empty, unoriginal person who is so common in this society. This is because of the many efforts to end all sadness, but, ironically, it resulted in many minds that are distorted and lied to. Because of

What fire represents in Fahrenheit 451 is, as established, strongly connected with the development of the main character. From it having the sole purpose of sabotaging not only objects but thoughts as well, to it being the reason why society will once again have the ability to live long and prosper. Ultimately, fire stands for newly found hope and an opportunity for improvement, even if it means destruction in the

Another incident that stayed in Montag 's mind is the old women who set her self and her books on fire. However, Montag tried stopping her by telling her that the books were not worth her life. Before she burned herself, Montag took one of her books and kept it. At that time Montag did not think about what did the old lady burned herself with the books, he did not think about it might be the value and morals that books hold to teach is. The old lady knew the importance of these books and what do they have, so she preferred to burn herself with them, and not watch the firemen burn them, who do not even know the importance of books. But they do know that books are unreal and there is so importance of them, plus they are against the law!

Symbolism is a major literary device that helps people see a book through symbols that often have a deeper meaning. A symbol is used to explain something in a different way, using images, objects, etc. instead of just saying it in words. As you search for a deeper meaning in a work of art or literature it can help you understand the author’s intentions and the deeper significance of a work. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, symbols help reinforce the major themes of the book.