Analyzing Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451'

The title Fahrenheit 451 is ironic because book paper catches fire and burns at 451 degrees Fahrenheit. The novel was once called The Fireman, but Ray Bradbury changed it to Fahrenheit 451 to give the story meaning. The first section of the novel is called “The Hearth and the Salamander.” A hearth is another name for a fireplace. This is to represent a home, and the hearth gives the home heat. The firemen in the story call their firetrucks salamanders. The salamander is to represent a fireman because people believed that salamanders can live in the fire and not be burned. The second section of the book is called “The Sieve and the Sand.” Montag remembers in his childhood he was trying to fill a sieve with sand. He did this to get a dime from

Some factors that could have influenced Bradbury to write the novel could have been the advances in technology the world was experiencing such as the atomic weapons during the war. An example of technology from the book could also be the earpiece he wears to communicate with Faber, the televisions, and radios. The war also could have influenced him to write the novel because a war is also happening in the book. Another factor that influenced Bradbury to write the novel could be when he met his wife, Marguerite McClure, in a book store where he was accused of stealing books. Montag steals the books in the story, and this event where he fell in love could have given him inspiration to write the story. Fahrenheit 451 is written to be a science fiction book because of its futuristic technology and scientific advances. Bradbury was in the basement of UCLA’s Lawrence Clark Powell Library when he wrote the book. It was noisy in the basement and also crowded. He rented a typewriter that cost him ten cents for thirty minutes. It took him nine days to write the book, and when he was done he had spent nine dollars and eighty

A phoenix is a bird that can go into the fire and live after it is burned into ashes. Granger says that man is like a phoenix because humans know when they have done wrong. Just like a phoenix, man can rise from their mistakes. Another symbolic figure in the novel is a salamander. The salamander is believed as a creature that can go through the fire and live. The salamander symbolizes firemen because they go through the fire as they burn houses and they come back okay. Fire is another important symbol throughout the story. Fire is a symbol of the destruction of books and houses. Beatty uses fire as a tool for destruction. Fire represents strength for the woman whose house they burned and her passion for the books. For Montag, fire also symbolizes his passion for the books as he is trying to save them. Water is also an important symbol in the story. As Montag leaves the burning city, water is separating his freedom for the books and his escape from the hound. Water is his saving grace to get him out of the city and to his safety. The war in the story is a symbol of the grief of the citizens and their disturbed people. The war is a symbol of chaos and devastation. The citizens are reminded of the violence as the jets fly over them. The act of burning is also a significant symbol in the novel. To firemen, the act of burning books is a way of purifying the civilization.