Fire Symbolism In Fahrenheit 451

Fire is an intangible force that exists to burn. It has burned books of curiosity and knowledge, it has burned the blueprints that creates the individual. Ray Bradbury manipulates fire in Fahrenheit 451, he creates a dystopian society that establishes laws to prevent individuality. People who have become accustomed to these rules fall victim to their own fears and they unknowingly create barriers to protect themselves. Bradbury’s prophetic image of society through vivid depictions of fire and its purpose initiates profound interactions with the protagonist and other characters within the novel. Fire serves as a reoccurring motif to illustrate the secrets of their restricted society. In the forms

Emblazoned in their history, there was a time “long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them” (6). Long since changed, firemen became “official censors, judges, and executors”, (56) custodians of peace of mind. Salamanders, creatures adapted to living in extreme environments and also the mascot of the firemen. Bradbury uses the salamander in pair with the hearth to exemplify the home. The hearth is the traditional symbol of the home, warm and comforting, but Montag questions those qualities. This issue

Its vibrancy becomes alive as Montag is more aware of the troubles with society. Even his description of the world around him becomes more expressive, showing that Montag is developing, he’s becoming human. “He was a shrieking blaze […] all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on him” (113). This description of Beatty’s murder was grotesque and graphic, demonstrating Montag’s understanding of fire as destructive. However, its meaning shifts from destruction to renewal. The burning of books, people, and their individuality started Montag on his path, and later, they acted as the coals that refueled Montag’s