Fahrenheit 451: Symbols, Motifs and Themes

Symbols:

A symbol is an object, word or idea that represents something important in a story.

Salamander: A salamander is an amphibian thought to live in fire, that is why in the novel, it is the official symbol of the firemen: "...she seemed hypnotized by the salamander on his arm and the phoenix-disc on his chest..." (page 4) which means that the firemen are heroes able to survive through the flames in order to burn books. Also, salamanders are related to transformation because they suffer many periods of metamorphosis. This could be related to Montag in the novel because he is going through a change in his life; he is starting to criticize the society he is living in, something that wouldn't have happened before.

Phoenix: The Phoenix is another important symbol in the novel. "Phoenix." "What?" "There was a silly damn bird called a Phoenix back before Christ: every few hundred years he built a pyre and burned himself up (...) But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again. And it looks like we're doing the same thing, over and over,... (page 148) In this part of the book, Granger is comparing humans to a phoenix, because now that the city has been bombarded, it has all become into ashes, just like the phoenix when it burns itself. ...but we've got one damn thing the Phoenix never had. We know the damn silly thing we just did. We know all the damn silly things we've done for a thousand years... (page 149) The only difference between the two is that humans are able to remember their past mistakes in order for them not to be repeated. This is the benefit that being a society brings to humans because things can be remembered through generations, something that the phoenix itself cannot achieve. Other than the explicit symbol that the phoenix represents about the change human society is going through, it also has a more implicit meaning. This bird also represents Montag's life; he is now a new and reborn person ready to make a better world than the one he was living in before.

Mirrors: Even if mirrors are nowadays seen as simple objects that reflect images, in Fahrenheit 451 they are much more than that. "How like a mirror, too, her face. Impossible; for how many people did you know that refracted your own light to you?" (page 23) At the beginning of the novel, Montag describes Clarisse as a mirror of himself. He is surprised because he had never felt that way, but her expression makes him think about his most well saved secrets. It is the first time Montag is able to recognize what he really feels and what he wants to do with his life. "Come on now, we're going to go build a mirror-factory first and put out nothing but mirrors for the next year and take a long look in them."(page 164) At this point of the book (almost the end) Granger purposes making a mirror factory in order for people to look at them and reflect about themselves. In conclusion, mirrors in the novel are objects that allow people to make a self analysis and be conscious about what they are doing.

Motifs:

A motif is an element that is repeated several times in a story and has a symbolic meaning.

Religion: In the novel there are many allusions to religious events. For example, the Bible is referenced several times: "Professor Faber, I have a rather odd question to ask. How many copies of the Bible are left in this country?" (page 75) Also, there is an allusion to Jesus' first miracle: "there would be neither fire nor water, but wine." that consisted in transforming water into wine, trying to say that Montag, which is the fire, will also go through a transformation. Bradbury wanted to show that if books were destroyed, religion would also disappear with them and be forgotten.

Nature: In Fahrenheit 451, nature is used to describe the past society. It represents the life that existed before humans depended on technology and before they started burning books. "And sometimes, I tell them, I like to put my head back, like this, and let the rain fall into my mouth." (page 13) "And if you look"-she nodded at the sky-"there's a man in the moon."(page 15) These quotes from Clarisse show how she is the only one that cares about nature, meaning that she is the only one that worries about the present society and wants the old one back.

Themes:

A theme is a universal idea present in a story that helps to explain its meaning.

Censorship: Censorship is probably the most important theme present in Fahrenheit 451. In the story, books are banned because the government does not want people to read them anymore. ""You know the law," said Beatty. "Where's your common sense? None of those books agree with each other. You've been locked up here for years with a regular damned Tower of Babel." "(page 35) This quote explains perfectly how the members from the government think that books confuse people because they all show different perspectives and points of view from life. Bradbury compares books to the Tower of Babel because in this part of the Bible, people start speaking different languages so they cannot communicate and are not able to construct the building. For them, the government, it would happen the same with books; they all speak different "languages" so people would get confused with so many options of what to believe in or what to think about. The fact that firemen are meant to burn these books, gives the reader a sense of curiosity: why do they burn them?. ""Do you ever read any of the books you burn?" He laughed. "That's against the law!""(page 8) In the present society, reading is probably the most important thing to do: it opens people's minds to new possibilities and ways of thinking, gives them learning and stimulates their brains. Also, the fact that in this futuristic society technology rules, warns the audience about the use that it is given nowadays. "But even when we had the books on hand, a long time ago, we didn't use what we got out of them." (page 43) People do not think about the importance books have, and as it is said "nobody knows what they have until it's gone." Bradbury is giving an advice to people of what might happen if we let technology get over books.

Ignorance: Books represent knowledge, and firemen in the novel burn these books, which means that they are destroying knowledge. The antonym of knowledge is ignorance, so by burning these books, they are basically promoting ignorance in the society. The reason why this is done, is because the government says that people need to be at the same level and equal, that is why no one can know more than anyone. "Or talking about how strange the world is. Being with people is nice. But I don't think it's social to get a bunch of people together and then not let them talk, do you? An hour of TV class, an hour of basketball or baseball or running, another hour of transcription history or painting pictures, and more sports, but do you know, we never ask questions, or at least most don't;"(page 53) In this fragment of the book, Clarisse is explaining Montag how strange the world is; everyone just focuses in the technological devices but no one ever stops a moment to look around and think about the society they are living in. Faber, is another character that helps Montag reflect about everything by showing him some books such as the Bible. "I don't talk things, sir," said Faber. "I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive." (page 71) This is the first time Montag and Faber talk, it is from the first moment that Montag feels strangely bonded to the person that will afterwards teach him many things. To conclude, with the help of Faber and Clarisse, Montag realizes that people need to get out of their ignorance and knows that he has to do something about it.

Fahrenheit 451

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Symbols, Motifs and Themes

Symbols:

Motifs:

Themes:

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