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Summary: Mythos Of The Noble Warrior

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“Mythos of the Noble Warrior” We grow up with stories told to us by our parents, our grandparents, sisters or brothers, and friends. Stories of love, of tragedy, stories that convey warnings, or some other moral or truth. There are even stories we tell others, but aren't sure how we learned them. Then there are the stories that we read as we grow older, and the stories we watch on television. Whether realized or not, the stories we read and see bear similarities to the stories we were learned as children. They reveal the same moral, give a warning not to make a particular mistake, or speak of the same type of love. Sometimes stories even follow the same plot as other narratives. Psychologist Carl G. Jung asserted that there are recurring “archetypes” …show more content…

For example, it has been reviewed for deeper meaning on the topic of freedom of speech (Patai), a picture of a dystopian society (Seed), literacy (Spencer), book burning (Littman) or how Bradbury influenced technology (Chen). It has been reviewed time and again for symbolism, metaphor, and allusions. Alan Lenhoff wrote an entire article devoted to the symbolism of fire Fahrenheit 451 titled Making Fire Mean More Than Fire: How Authors Use Symbols. In a rather lengthy critical essay (26 pages) cleverly titled “Spelunking with Ray Bradbury: The Allegory of the Cave in Fahrenheit 451,” George Connor contrasts Fahrenheit 451 to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The recurring theme in these reviews and critiques is that people read Fahrenheit 451 searching for deeper meanings in Bradbury’s text. This search for deeper or hidden meaning is characteristic of anyone who has been exposed to fictional literature and had the second thought to reevaluate what they’ve read. There is indeed a moral deep within Fahrenheit 451, but it’s deeper than the symbolism of fire that Lenhoff focused on, deeper than Rafeeq McGiveron’s emphasis on Montag’s hands, that has caused it to resonate in people’s minds for the last fifty plus years since Ray Bradbury wrote it. The science fiction genre (to which Bradbury’s works are frequently delegated) is ripe with reviews of Fahrenheit 451, with titles like Science Fiction …show more content…

The obvious assumption is that Guy Montag is the protagonist. However, in response to the assertion that the books could be the protagonist, requires a hard look at what exactly a protagonist is supposed to do. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines “protagonist” as “the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text,” or “an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea.” If we apply that definition to both Montag’s role and the role books play in Fahrenheit 451, it is clear that Montag fits the definition more fully. Montag is the leading character, as well as an advocate for

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