Symbolism In Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury

In his futuristic novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury creates a society in which fireman who no longer protect the community burn books as a way to censor individual thought. Bradbury Illustrates the cold melancholy room of Guy Montag and his half dead wife in order to display the loss of happiness in their dystopian world due to technology.

Montag changed his view of fire from entertainment and destruction into cleansing and renewal when an alarm, called by his wife and her friends, brings the firemen to his own home. Montag wanted to burn his house because “He wanted to change everything, the chairs, the tables, and in the dining room the silverware and plastic dishes, everything that showed that he had lived here…” (Bradbury 110). He wanted to get rid of his old life and all memories of it. Montag had even said “If there was no solution, well then there was no problem, either. Fire was best for everything” (Bradbury 110). In this aspect, fire is used for cleansing, just burn anything that is a problem. Ironically, Beatty is one Montag’s problem, so Montag follows his advice and burns Beatty alive. With the use of fire, Montag successfully gets rid of his previous life and Beatty.

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.

Pain is one way to describe fire in this book for example, “He looked with dismay at the floor. ‘We burnt an old woman with her books’” (49). The woman killed herself for the love of her books she did not wanted to give up on those books so she died with them. Montag feels terrible and puts himself on thought about the ¨old woman with her books¨ also get he starts to have the urge to learn how to read books and why people can’t read them. Even though he loved to burn books because burning them gave him a kind a “pleasure” the thought of the woman burning herself was so powerful that put him thinking

Juan Ramon Jimenez once said, “If they give you ruled paper, write the other way”. This quote shows the challenge of authority, like Montag and his society. Just like challenging the normal, or doing the opposite of what seems to be right by “writing the other way” on a lined piece of paper, Montag chooses to challenge authority by reading, remembering, and comprehending books, instead of burning them. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury takes place in a dystopian society in the twenty-fourth century and the main character is Guy Montag. He is a fireman whose job is to burn books and start fires instead of putting them out. Moreover, he lives in a society which just listens to government propaganda and follows whatever they are told; the citizens do not think deeply about aspects in life but rather focus on mind-numbing activities, that does not take any deep thought process. Books are banned but Montag takes the risk to start to read books, hoping they will bring him happiness in the dark world he lives in. In his journey he has three mentors who help him, Clarisse, Faber, and Granger. The protagonist, Guy Montag, changes as a result of the conflict within his dystopian society and this change connects to the novel’s theme of government censorship over its citizens.

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, there are many different characters and each one plays a different role. One of the main characters, Guy Montag, is a fireman who takes pride in his work and enjoys burning books as a part of his job. His outlook about burning books changes after he meets Clarisse McClellan and Professor Faber. It’s very interesting how Montag’s way of thinking transforms overtime. He becomes very courageous about hiding books and is also curious about reading them. Throughout the novel his actions, ideas, and his feelings change as he starts to think for himself.

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.

“It was a pleasure to burn.” Fire is a prominent symbol in Fahrenheit 451. The first line of Bradbury’s novel depicts the state of ignorance protagonist Guy Montag resides in. This is true for almost all characters in the story, save Clarisse and Faber. The opening paragraphs of the book are similar to the first stanza of Stafford’s poem: “Protecting each other, right in the center a few pages glow a long time.” Both works of literature begin with the detailing of burning books in an almost

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

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.

In the the novel Fahrenheit 451, multiple different abstract and concrete ideas are represented. Those ideas include the use of the outsiders to represent the old society, the use of the mechanical hound to represent the resistance to change, and the usage of the atomic bomb to symbolize a new reality. However, this specific examples of representation within the novel are highlighted due to the fact that they together compose an allegory.

In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by author Ray Bradbury we are taken into a place of the future where books have become outlawed, technology is at its prime, life is fast, and human interaction is scarce. The novel is seen through the eyes of middle aged man Guy Montag. A firefighter, Ray Bradbury portrays the common firefighter as a personal who creates the fire rather than extinguishing them in order to accomplish the complete annihilation of books. Throughout the book we get to understand that Montag is a fire hungry man that takes pleasure in the destruction of books. It’s not until interacting with three individuals that open Montag’s eyes helping him realize the errors of his ways. Leading Montag to change his opinion about books, and

Bradbury’s symbolic use of fire shifts to echo Montag’s increasing enlightenment. As he talks about his love for his job as a firefighter Montag notes that he loves “to see things blackened and change...to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history” (1). Montag enjoys the immediate satisfaction of destroying something; the change in and of itself exhilarates him. Fire represents a false sense of power because he feels he controls what he burns but in reality there are other consequences. It symbolizes a blind power for destruction and change since Montag never looks to repercussions.

Guy Montag is the protagonist and central character of the book, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury that transforms from a conformist in a totalitarian society to rebuilding a society that reads books. Montag fits the cliché description of a good-looking male with “black hair, black brows…fiery face, and…blue-steel shaved but unshaved look.” (Bradbury, 33)  For the past eight years he has burned books. He is a 3rd generation firefighter, who in the beginning of the story, loves his job, which consists of burning the homes of people who perform criminal acts of reading and keeping books in their homes. By understanding Montag’s relationships, discontentment, and future, one can begin to understand the complexities of Guy Montag.

In Fahrenheit 451’s dystopian society, the possession of books is considered criminal. A once proud fireman who regularly burned books turned a new leaf and began to understand and value the importance of literature. Multiple characters in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 impact the ex-firemans, Montag, life in a way that changed him forever. Throughout the novel Montag discovers a different outlook and perspective on the society in which he lives and how he perceives books. From a fireman to an outlaw, a few specific characters greatly impact Montag. Montag meets a young woman who perceives the world in a different way which affects Montag’s outlook on society. Also, a retired English professor gave Montag confidence and the comprehension of books. A character close to Montag, his wife, shows him how the loss of importance of books would affect his life . When Montag goes outside, he comes across a young woman who does not seem like the others in the city. Montag begins to talk to her and his life changes in a major way.