Montag’s Transformation Through Fire
Fahrenheit 451 is one of the most successful pieces of literacy today, the novel is prosperous recognized around the globe and received many awards such as, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature, Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, Retro Hugo Award, Commonwealth Club of California just to name a few. What made this novel so successful was not only the plot of the story but also the controversy behind Fahrenheit 451. The use of symbolism in the novel was interpreted by so many people and received positive and negative reviews from its readers. I will be discussing one symbol “fire” and the connection with other symbols within the story such as hearth, salamander and the phoenix which all represent the development of the protagonist of the story, a firefighter named Montag, and the moral of the story the author wants to convey. Lets begin with symbolism and the effect it had in the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury does a marvelous job in the use of symbolism throughout the novel because the author provides just enough information so readers can interpret symbols in their own way. Fahrenheit 451 was released in 1953, during a conservative era, where new ideas were meticulous analyzed and many feared the author was implying the comparison of Joseph McCarthy’s government censorship. In 2007 Ray Bradbury responded to critics denying such accusation and explained that his thought behind the plot of Fahrenheit 451 was,
Throughout English literature there are a number of authors who use symbolism to get a point across to the reader. Symbolism is a chance for the author to show the reader instead of tell. The futuristic book Fahrenheit 451 is a novel based around symbolism and ulterior meanings. Water and fire are symbols commonly used in all types of literature. These elements are especially apparent in mythology. Also, within the novel the parlor walls proved themselves to be more than what was initially apparent. These symbols give this book a very specific tone and mood.
Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 is set in a futuristic world where owning and reading books is illegal, and if a citizen is caught with one, it’s burned. Throughout Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury uses the literary device of symbolism; with the symbols ranging from aspects of the firemen’s uniforms, to the fire itself, and the Phoenix at the conclusion of the story.
In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, author, Ray Bradbury, uses symbolism to feed the reader with a deeper more insightful meaning of the story by guiding his protagonist and the mindset of the society in which he lives, from a brainwashed technology driven society lacking independent thought, to a human-focused society through the use of the symbols fire and mirrors.
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.
Mahatma Gandhi once declared, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Change happens throughout the lives of everyone, and, like Ghandi, anyone can change the world by fighting for what you believe in and standing up for what is right. Similarly, in Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist, Guy Montag, continues to change as he faces more problems in his society and new ideas. Montag, originally a fireman, burned books for a living, but when he meets an eighteen year-old girl named Clarisse who fills him in on what society used to be. Clarisse further questions Montag by asking if he is really happy in this society, and at first Montag is confused why she asked this. However, when Montag thinks about the question, he feels questioning of society coming upon him naturally. Montag, the protagonist, changes as a result of three main conflicts with his dystopian society, that teach him curiosity, confidence, and courage.
While reading Bradbury’s literature, it is hard to ignore the strong use of symbolism that creates a cinematic effect, since Bradbury’s use of symbols in Fahrenheit 451 presents an overall level of understanding to the reader, further painting a clear picture to better understand and push the reading to a greater level. Bradbury’s main use of symbolism in the novel comes from the mythological bird, the phoenix. This mythological bird represents the act of rebirth and after it is destroyed in flames, it is able to be reborn and flourish as such. Similar to the phoenix emerging from its ashes being its past, so too does Montag; therefore, connecting him back to the natural world and its properties. The phoenix makes an appearance as an image on the fire captain
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.
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 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.
There are many types of symbolism involved in the story “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury. There are three major symbolism that i'm going to be talking about that are talked throughout the whole book. The three symbols are The Hound, Fire and lastly The Phoenix. All three of the symbols show a different understanding about them. The hound means government control. Fire means likes control.
The element of symbolism in Fahrenheit 451 develops and helps to support the overall theme by adding a deeper meaning to the story. The two main elements of symbolism that Ray Bradbury uses are the hearth and the salamander. Bradbury uses not only the denotations of these words but also the connotations to fully implement each element into the story. There are many things that the hearth and salamander could symbolize; one of them is how the hearth not only symbolizes how those in the novel believe that no conflict equals to happiness, but also how the hearth symbolizes Clarisse. The hearth symbolizes the belief that no conflict equals to happiness because the characters in the novel feel safe, at home, and comforted by that belief, even though
The book Fahrenheit 451 is a book that promotes many themes and morals. There are more than just a few themes we can see in this story, some of them quite different to the others. Some of this has to do with violence, in the book we read about how young people go around killing others just like them or sometimes just because they are a bit different, which shouldn’t matter, another one about how the citizens are not satisfied with how they’re living their lives. What if many of them actually found appealing or amazing the art of writing but weren’t able to pursue that because in that society it wasn’t right to do that, it was more like a crime.
What fire represents in Fahrenheit 451 is, as established, strongly connected with the development of the main character. From it having the sole purpose of sabotaging not only objects but thoughts as well, to it being the reason why society will once again have the ability to live long and prosper. Ultimately, fire stands for newly found hope and an opportunity for improvement, even if it means destruction in the
(AGG) Symbolism is everywhere in Fahrenheit 451, even in its title with 451°F being the temperature paper burns at. (BS-1) Hands are a symbol in the book that represents actions one level and humanity on another, connecting to the author's message of change. (BS-2) Fire used in the society becomes the symbol of destruction conveying the message of how humanity can stop change. (BS-3) This theme of change is once again highlighted through the symbol of fire in nature. (TS) In the book Fahrenheit 451, the author Ray Bradbury clearly uses the symbols of fire and hands to stress the major message of change.
There are a lot of different themes and symbols throughout the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Many of the motifs coincide with the titles of the three sections in the novel. The three sections were ‘The Hearth and The Salamander,’ ‘The Sand and The Sieve,’ and lastly ‘Burning Bright.’ The symbols and themes of this novel varied from dependence on technology to freedom of expression. All throughout the book there is conformity and those who defy the rules and in the end the ones who do not do as they should, survive. While those who listen to orders and do what they are told are annihilated. The first section of the book’s title represents the growth and destruction of families and their connections, while