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Symbolism Of Ray Bradbury 's Fahrenheit 451

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Symbolism in Fahrenheit 451 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 is one of man’s oldest tools, and Bradbury’s use of it as a symbol can be viewed in many different ways. Another use of symbolism is his use of the Salamander and Phoenix to resemble their iconic fire trucks, and the emblems on their uniforms. Bradbury starts off using the symbolism of fire, the Phoenix and the Salamander to demonstrate power and destruction, however; throughout the story the original meaning of these symbols begins to transform much like the protagonist Guy Montag, and eventually other symbols like the sieve and the river shed light on the transformation of Montag. All of these symbols come together with the use of allegory to bring an understanding of the larger issues faced by their society, such as the overuse of technology and censorship. Fire, the most predominant use of

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