The Symbolism Of Fire In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

In the novel Fahrenheit 451 (written by Ray Bradbury), fire is portrayed to be one of the most important symbols in the book. The symbolism of fire has drastically changed throughout the course of the plot, namely for the better. In the future, books are banned and individuals employed as firemen are paid to burn the offending pieces of literature. Guy Montag, a fireman, finds fault in this way of life and sets off on a quest to find tranquility within himself. He believes that books are the answer and this leads him to commit the ultimate crime: stealing and reading books. Montag’s development can be directly compared to the development of fire. Although fire represented a depraved society, the symbolism of it changed dramatically; from a

Fire provides strength and destroys, making room for revival. Everything has its time and place, and yet, in Montag’s world, society seems to be constantly breaking down, or more specifically, burning down. The most obvious example of this was when the city got bombed: “…the city rolled over and fell down dead” (153). Now that the TV’s are gone, burned in a great fire, it’s time to start a new life, and build something better, a society where everyone is happy and free. Near the end of Fahrenheit 451, fire represented the things that make us human. The very virtues that have been seen again and again throughout the course of history. Strength and renewal. The time for renewal has come: “There was a silly damn bird called a phoenix back before Christ, every few hundred years he built a pyre and burnt 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, 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 and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, someday we’ll stop making the goddamn funeral pyres and jumping in the middle of them.” (156). Just like the phoenix, the human race has burned itself out and restarted afresh, but with one key difference: they know they messed up and will remember what they did wrong. Humanity will live on, prosper, and hopefully, refrain from the critical mistakes that have jeopardized them since the beginning of time. Something great will arise. Montag has reached the final stage in his development as a member of the new order. He is ready to start all over, to learn new things, and to remember the unfortunate past. As he is done developing himself, he is now