Friday, February 24, 2012

What are some symbols in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451?

In Fahrenheit 451, the firefighters' hats are marked with "451," the temperature at which paper burns. (Though this may not be entirely scientifically accurate, it is stated as the temperature at which paper burns in the novel.) The captain of the firefighters, Beatty, wears a phoenix on his hat; the phoenix is a bird in Greek mythology that rises from the ashes in a form of rebirth. Another symbol used in the book is that of the salamander, which is the symbol of the firefighters. The salamander was thought in mythology to be able to survive fire. The first section of the book is called "The Hearth and the Salamander," as the hearth was formerly the traditional symbol of the home (a well-kept home was thought to always have a fireplace). Of course, in Montag's world, fire is used for destruction, not to add warmth to a home. 

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