Cold War in the Eyes of Ray Bradbury

The late 1940′s were a time when much change happened to the American society. As a result to the expanding threat of the Soviet Union, or its Communistic ideals, America took a stand that lead it to the Cold War.  Although the war didn’t involve fighting directly with Russia, it still affected the American society and domestic policy. The war affected America so much that it lead to a fear of livelihood; precisely when Joseph McCarthy began his “witch hunt”. The Cold war lead to an enlarged fear of nuclear war; as well, it affected many of the domestic policies.

Fire. The symbol of destruction, warmth, and renewal, is a prominent theme in the novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury. Guy Montag, lives in a bleak, advanced United States where any and books have been made illegal and are replaced with entertainment and technology. The use of fire in the past was to give warmth and heat and has now been replaced for the use destruction and satisfaction. Montag’s job as a fireman is to burn books and houses that have books stowed away. Montag’s view of fire and burning items in the first act is destruction and is completely changed by the end of the book, when he views fire as a symbol of

The biggest and most fervent effect of the Cold War on American culture was the state of anxiety that swept the nation. Americans have always harboured a fear of radicalism entering the country and destroying any parts of the government that give power to the people, but when the Cold War begun, this fear was immensely heightened. This time period became known as the “age of anxiety”.

In the start of Fahrenheit 451, Montag’s thoughts are that fire is good for society. He burns books for a living, and never thought twice about doing his job. That is until he meets characters such as Clarisse, Beatty, and the academics. Montag’s understanding of the nature of fire changes as he becomes enlightened through his relationships.

It is only once in a while a book comes along so great in its message, so frightening in its inferred meaning’s of fire as in Fahrenheit 451. Fire which is used as a symbol of chaos, destruction, and death can also lead to knowledge. Fire has 3 different meanings. Fire represents change which is shown through Montag’s symbolic change from using fire to burn knowledge into using fire to help him find knowledge; fire can represent knowledge as demonstrated through Faber, and fire can represent rebirth of knowledge as shown through the phoenix.

In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, fire is a recurring idea. Bradbury used the main character, Guy Montag, to present the fire motif throughout the story. Montag, a fireman, had doubts about his career and society. He sought answers and enlightenment to cure his curiosity about the truth in books. He did not have faith in his society, nor did he understand why intellect was so terrible. In his search Montag realized that fire (and books) were not so evil after all. Montag began to see fire in a different light. Therefore, fire, in Fahrenheit 451, represented rejuvenation through cleansing and renewal.

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and Modern World The futuristic world that Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, so vividly describes is frighteningly close to our own. It might not seem so at first glance, but if you take a closer look, you'll find that Bradbury wasn't far off the mark with his idea of what our lives would be like in 50 years. As he envisioned, technology would be extremely sophisticated, families would start becoming distant, and entertainment would take a more significant role in our lives. The problems at the present might not be as extreme as Bradbury's, however, if left unchecked, they could grow to be just as monstrous as he predicted.

In Fahrenheit 451 ,written by Ray Bradbury, the motif of fire, sparks an interest in the reader which pulls them into the life of Guy Montag. In the daily life of Montag, Bradbury portrays the importance of fire in the censored society. From Montag's standpoint the reader gains a clear perspective of the symbolism and importance of fire. Throughout the story fire is used to represent a different emotion or characteristic. At the start of the book fire symbolizes destruction; towards the middle of the book fire is used to represent change and discovering ones identity; and finally at the conclusion of the story fire symbolizes renewal and rebirth.

Mankind has been utilizing fire for millennia; it has been used to make food safe, to provide warmth, to illuminate the dark and unknown, and to protect from savage beasts. It is also practical for torturing, killing, intimidating, and destroying. It only takes one glance for someone to see how fire -- as it dances, spearing the sky for but a moment before it is gone, only to be replaced by another flame -- is far too chaotic to be controlled. In the world of Fahrenheit 451, it seems, superficially, that man has conquered fire at last; the home, man’s refuge from everything undesirable in the world, is fireproof. Why, then, are things still burning in this gilded utopia? In this futuristic society where there is no such thing as an uncontrolled fire, fire has been reduced to a mere tool to be wielded by mankind. As such, fire, in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, is a reflection of the true nature of each character in the novel. In the hands of the society and especially the fireman, fire is a tool wielded for fractious and destructive intent. For Clarisse, who is compared to a candle, fire is friendly and inspiring of thought. And for Montag and the other literates hiding outside of the city, fire is a warm gathering place that fosters kinship and the proper ideals to feed a revolution.

Imagine a society where books are banned, technology has taken over and is on the verge of a world war. This is what you encounter when reading the totalitarian novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury from the perspective of the protagonist Guy Montag, a fireman with the task of burning every still existing book there is. Throughout the course of the novel, he begins questioning his current life-situation and evolves from a workaholic to a rule-breaking rebel in a matter of days. Considering the occupation of the protagonist, fire coincidentally has a significant role in this story, however, the symbolism changes coherently with Montag himself. The meaning of fire and burning provides dimension and depth and thus making it a food for thought type

In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, fire symbolizes destruction and censorship. It symbolizes this by showing how the firemen are starting fires, and not putting them out. It states, “he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red, yellow, and black.” (Bradbury 3). In the quote it explained how he ignited a fire that burned down a house, when firefighters are supposed to be putting out fires, and not starting them. Another symbolism for fire is the censorship, on how the firemen prohibit books and no one is allowed to have or read them. In the book the firemen go out and burn the books to get rid of them, because of their false information. In the book it Montag states “like the old

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.

In Ray Bradbury’s novel, “Fahrenheit 451”, he creates a futuristic society impacted by censorship, where citizens are forced to conform to the government’s manipulation. In this society, all forms of literature became a dangerous gateway to knowledge and are regarded as signs of controversy. Books have been outlawed, and thus the human mind, individuality and thought have all become a blurred existence. Society has become senseless. Merely a place where a fireman’s profession is burning books and any houses found with books kept inside. The novel’s protagonist, Montage, also a fireman, is the narrator of the given quote above. Through the repetitive word “burning”, Bradbury emphasizes Montage’s sense of revelation. Montage realizes he must

Fire is an ever-present concept in Fahrenheit 451. In the society of the dystopian world the fire is a negative force that destroys the houses and banned books of the offender. The name of the book is derived from the temperature at which books burn. The burning books become a metaphor for the anti-intellectual violence of the novel. It eradicates every cultural article in which are books. It is used as a pressure of the government to form the citizens the way the government wants the world constructed. "The core of the novel rests in the readers ability to share Guy 's slow struggle toward consciousness, to move from

“The Cold War became a dominant influence on many aspects of American society for much of the second half of the twentieth century. It escalated due to antagonist values between the United States, representing capitalism and democracy, and the Soviet Union, representing communism and authoritarianism” (Tradshad, par. 1). This long lasting war had a lot of negative effects on the American people, but also helped many in a positive way of becoming free citizens. Although most people had feelings of hatred toward the Soviet Union, a sense of fear swept over the United States and many actions had to be taken to keep the enemy and their influences out. 4 done.