What Does Blood Symbolize In Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 is a book that uses a lot of imagery in order to convey its message written by Ray Bradbury an American author and screenwriter who let himself through his imagination. Theis novel book is set in a futuristice American society where people are not allowed to read books. The story revolves around the main character, Montag, a fireman whose job it is to burn books, and the people that he meets and experiences that challenges him to his societaly beliefs. Fire is one image that is used as something that represents distraction. Sad,unhappy and not adventurous are a way to describe Montag.

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.

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.

Fahrenheit 451 has been called an ingenious and life changing work of literature. It could not have had this effect on people, however, without the incredibly pivotal part 3 of the novel. This part is what shows the inherent hopeful nature of the writing. Ray Bradbury’s intent when writing Part 3 of Fahrenheit 451 was to show how even a dark and dystopian world like the one in the novel can be reborn into a new and better society, and that even the most hopeless of situations can be fixed. He demonstrates this intent through an analogy about the seasons, similes involving wax dolls, and finally the overarching metaphor of the phoenix.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, conveys the individuals as innocent. This is exemplified through symbolism. White is repeated to describe Faber, “he and the plaster walls… there was white in flesh… and his hair was white” this shows that Faber is pure and innocent. Bradbury also uses personification, “her dress was white and it whispered”. This shows the purity of Clarisse. Metaphor is used to describe the innocence of Clarisse, “her face was fragile milk crystals with a soft and contrast light into it”. This is in contrast to the destructive nature of authority. Therefore, symbolism, personification and metaphors, lead to the individuals innocence which eventually leads them as conformists. “Sea shells” is an example of metaphor for propaganda. Bradbury also uses dialogue to convey this theme to the reader, when he shows Mildred he has no education and has a weak expression. This also conveys the effect that censorship can have on an individual. Bradbury also uses symbolism through the snake. It is symbolic of evil deeds spitting venomous. Therefore, through metaphors, dialogue, symbolism, personification and metaphors, it is evident that individuals are seen as innocent in the text.

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.

Fahrenheit 451 is the actual temperature at which paper catches fire. The story by Ray Bradbury represents a social criticism that alarms individuals against the risk of suppressing their feelings due to restrictions. The fascinating story of Bradbury, ‘Fahrenheit 451’ is interestingly well constructed. It can be clearly recognized that the book broadens the idea of a short story that the author wrote entitled “Bright phoenix." Although the story is considered as a science fiction work, it has led to the significant display of the author’s ability in style and idea writing. Bradbury has successfully applied imagery in ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and has shown how people in the society lead dehumanized and dangerous lives (Hamilton, Tim, and Ray Bradbury 2009). In essence, the use of imagery is strong in ‘Fahrenheit 451’ which seeks to explain how society behaves in circumstances of oppression.

Ray Bradbury introduced many different things of symbolism throughout his novel “Fahrenheit 451”. One specific that stood out to me was fire. Fire which is used as a symbol of chaos, destruction, and death can also be used as a symbol of knowledge. Fire has 3 different meanings in this novel. Fire can represent the change in which is shown through Montag’s symbolic change from using fire to burn the knowledge into using fire to help him find knowledge; fire can represent the knowledge that is thriving to stay alive as fire does, and fire can also represent the control and censorship over the town and society.

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 Fahrenheit 451 there are many differences throughout the book, along with similarities. For instance, symbolism means one thing in our society, yet the total opposite in the Fahrenheit 451 dystopian society. Also, attitudes towards books also have the same effect as the symbolism example. Likewise, rules also have many differences in both societies. Believe it or not, aside from all the differences, all these paradigms actually share similarities, surprisingly.

The story of Fahrenheit 451 is about a firefighter in the future, Montag, whose job is to burn books. After a few weeks, his life makes a big turn, changing his view of life, books and almost everything. Fire is mentioned many times in the story and symbolises different things like feelings. In the book Fahrenheit 451, the author ray Bradbury uses fire to symbolise death, time and safety.

The use of blood sounds like it would add disgust and devastation to the novel. It does not though it adds a greater since of literal context. The blood in the novel adds an understanding of the citizen’s souls and their emotions. We see the symbolism of blood in relationship to the soul as Mildred over doses on pills and her blood becomes poisoned. When Mildred gets her blood changed Montag tells how “The bloodstream in this woman was new and it seemed to have done a new thing to her” (Bradbury).

In many works of literature, motifs are utilized to enrich detail and develop meaning in the writing. The dystopian bestseller, Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury is filled with various symbols, imagery, and themes. Montag, the fireman, lives in a futuristic society where wildlife is disguised as medical instruments, robotic machines, and warped representations. Throughout the novel, the idea of animals is a recurring symbol that illustrates the theme of perversion of nature.

Animal and nature imagery the novel nature is presented as a force of innocence and the truth beginning with clarisse’s. Clarisse’s convinces montag to taste the rain and the experience change him irrevocably Montag escape from the city into the country is a revelation to him showing him the enlightening power of unspoiled nature. The phoenix is a symbol for renewal for life follows death in a cleaning fire. The hearth or fireplace is a traditional symbol of the home the salamander is one the official symbols of the fireman. The phoenix is a lizard who is a mythic being able to live even in the presence of a fire it’s skin is cold and suggested that cold body can put out the flame the rising phoenix out of the ashes live again. Fire is an interesting symbol in fahrenheit 451 because it symbolizes two different meanings. The fireman who burn books and wear the number 451 on their helments fire symolizes destruction (451 is the temperature at which paper and books burn.) when fire is controlled symbolizes the flickering of self awareness and knowledge. After the city is reduced to ashes by bombers in fahrenheit 451 granger compares mankind to phoenix that burns itself up and then rises out of it’s ashes over and over again both destroy themselves in fire and both start up again amid the ashes. Ray Bradbury describes a phoenix as water and a fireman as fire the hearth and the salamander mirrors symbol of self understanding of seeing oneself clearly that recalls to montag’s description of clarisse as a mirror in. Granger said

Fire is a basic human necessity-capable of both causing devastation and sustaining life. With its various uses, fire’s symbolic meaning is ambiguous: to some, fire symbolizes destruction and death, yet to others it can symbolize passion, knowledge and comfort. Ray Bradbury successfully portrays the ambiguity of fire’s symbolism in Fahrenheit 451, as Montag’s mental transformation and relationship to society changes his understanding of fire; believing first that fire is simply a destructive force, to slowly understanding the comforting and unifying nature of fire.