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Influence Of Fire In Fahrenheit 451

Decent Essays

Chidi Azuike
Fahrenheit 451 Essay
13 November 2017

How Mythological Creatures Influenced the Perception of Fire in Fahrenheit 451
The dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 written by author Ray Bradbury in 1953, shows what he speculates the fate of society to be. The novel takes place in the corrupt United States when most people no longer read books and are satisfied only by entertainment. In the novel, the fire has been perceived in many different ways by the main character, Guy Montag, who was once a fireman. Firemen are mindless servants to society, who burn books to maintain censorship and stop people from thinking for themselves. Fire in Fahrenheit 451 has changed multiple times, from the fire being seen as destructive and chaotic to symbolizing rebirth and purifying. Mythological creatures, such as the salamander and Phoenix have influenced the change in the perception of fire. Fire is viewed in many different ways in Fahrenheit 451, and the perception of the fire has changed multiple times. The salamander, a mythological creature often called “fire lizard” changes the definition of fire in Fahrenheit 451. The notation of salamander, being most common in Chapter 1, the Hearth and The Salamander. The names of the chapters in Fahrenheit 451 all connect to Guy Montag, the main character. In The Hearth and The Salamander, the hearth represents his home as it is warm and bears fire. The Salamander represents his job, as it is on a badge on his uniform. “She seemed hypnotized by the salamander on his arm”(p4, Ray Bradbury). Clarisse looks at Montag’s arm and sees the salamander which symbolizes him being a fireman. Firemen wear the salamander because of the old mythological meaning of the salamander having resistance to fire. The salamander is a prominent symbol in Fahrenheit 451, also being the name of the fire truck that the fireman use. Also, The Salamander

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