Throughout the course of humanity, fire has always been an essential source of survival. Due to its impact on human history, over the years, it has been interpreted by a variety of cultures in many different ways. In literature, since fire is considered a tangible object, it is often used to embody an intricate concept or idea. Ray Bradbury incorporates the literary technique of symbolism in the novel, Fahrenheit 451, in order to illustrate the significance of fire in a dark and empty dystopia where ignorance is a societal norm. In this corrupt society, the presence of fire is crucial because it represents the concepts of destruction and authority, enlightenment and reformation, and warmth and relief. Initially, fire is depicted as a destructive …show more content…
In terms of enlightenment, fire’s capability to enlighten was shown in a memory. On page 7 of Fahrenheit 451, during Montag’s first meeting with Clarisse, he begins to think of the time where he and his mother were in a dark room due to a power outage, so as a solution, his mother lit a candle. Clarisse and the memory of the candle are synonymous because they both shone light onto Montag’s monochromatic reality. In addition, the candle was described to “bring a brief moment of rediscovery” to Montag and his mother, and similarly, Clarisse’s brief yet profound meeting with Montag marked the beginning of his mental enlightenment (Bradbury 7). After enlightenment, typically comes reformation, which was sparked after Montag witnesses an old woman being burned alive beside her books. The old woman allowed herself to be burned alive in order to convey the power and influence of books. After watching this atrocious event, Montag begins to question the components of a book along with the intentions of his society, meaning that the flames that killed the woman sparked a desire for reformation within Montag. Enlightenment and reformation often correlate in terms of cause and effect, and like the candle from his childhood, Montag’s meeting with Clarisse has shone a light on his ignorant perspective, which had led him to become aware of the old woman’s perspective when she requested to be