Adi Malhotra Mr. Garza English I Honors April 13, 2023 Literary Devices in Fahrenheit 451 “It was a pleasure to burn”(Bradbury 1). The burning of books and the burning of people’s individuality. Bradbury makes frequent use of figurative language such as similes and symbolism of paradoxes in the novel in order to show dangers of brainless pleasure and conformity in his dystopian society to warn us of dangers that might come to pass. Ray Bradbury portrays the figurative language of similes throughout his novel Fahrenheit 451 to make sense and represent a lucid representation for his readers.
Fahrenheit 451 is set in a horrible, yet very possible, dystopian world. The setting is very undesirable because everyone thinks that books are bad so they have prohibited all of them. Everyone has this Belief because over time it has been convinced that books only bring sorrow. Most people have forgot about books and their importance, but the people who haven’t forgotten try to sneak books into their homes only to then have their homes burned, sometimes with them in it. Books are valuable, worth the time and effort, and in Montags’ world books are considered dangerous.
As previously stated, books would make us think, contemplate form new and dangerous ideas. This is why the government would choose to burn the books and those who refuse to give them up. They’re reduced to ash, into nothing. In one major scene in Fahrenheit 451 was when, Montag is ordered to burn down his house and books by Beatty, who is the captain of the firemen. After he does this he burns Beatty to death.
Fahrenheit 451 All over this world, there has never been any kind of peace or freedom. There will always be some kind of conflict or even some kind of pressure that puts a border against each other trying to reach that sort of peace. One of those things is book burnings. Book burnings have been around for many centuries. In real life and in books, like the novel Fahrenheit 451.
Symbolism of fire essay Fahrenheit 451 by famous writer Ray Bradbury illustrates a fictional dystopian society were the voice of people can not be quieted or controlled. A society where firemen instead of putting off fires light them with a hefty intention of vanishing every single book ever created. Symbolism is commonly used in the novel to enhance interior meanings and fire is being a major symbol for the depth of the novel. Bradbury uses symbolism throughout his novel to portray the main character’s journey, Montage and his mental transformation of questioning his beliefs, society, his job, books along with the unimaginable power of fire. First believing that fire was simply a destructive tool for soon after understanding the real power
In Fahrenheit 451 and Modern American Society, there are many fires. Fahrenheit 451’s fires start to eliminate books in houses. The firemen are not the firemen that everyone knows and loves today. These firemen start fires instead of stopping them like in Modern American Society.
But like any work of art that would be missed if it was burned, Fahrenheit 451 doesn't want to give you answers. The book wants you to ask questions. The main point for me is not that books are burned. That is only the most dramatic side of something bigger: that society allows them to be burned, and that no one is interested in reading in the first place.
Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn. This novel, Fahrenheit 451, is about people living in a future society. They are not allowed to read books so the “firemen” burn the books that are found. The books give them ideas and in this society ideas make you think. Thinking is thought of evil or breaking the law.
The firefighters give an illusion that the fire is helpful and cleanses while in reality it conceals , destroys and burns away change. One key example of this is when Beatty says “Burn all and burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean.” What Beatty means in this sentence is that the burning of books erases the past and allows the past to be rewritten and also allows the control of the citizens mentality. Fire is the ultimate tool to keep the dystopian society in order in Fahrenheit 451.
Bradbury first draws attention to the books as a symbol when the firemen burn the books. Books represent power; this society doesn 't want people to have power so they take it away from them. This symbol is the main focus of Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury states, ¨He carried the books into the backyard and hid them in the bushes near the alley fence¨ (Bradbury 2.364).
“The fears we don’t face become our limits.” This is a quote said by Robin Sharma, a Canadian writer and motivational speaker. This idea that fear sets limitations is a concept that is similar to a recurring motif found in the book Fahrenheit 451. The motif of fear, or lack thereof, illustrates a negative impact on the destructive dystopian society. Author Ray Bradbury demonstrates such beliefs through the characters false sense of security.
Fahrenheit 451 is about the dark future of a dystopian society where books are banned and, therefore, the “firemen” must burn all books. The book’s name comes from the fact that 451° F is the temperature at which paper burns. The development of symbolism in Fahrenheit 451 is used to relay Bradbury’s message of his fears for the future. Bradbury warns readers that knowledge will fade over time, with one of the earliest symbols being that books are getting burned into ashes. Capturing the negative
“Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry,“ - Cassandra Clare. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, the author, Ray Bradbury, constructs a futuristic American society in which books are no longer allowed. This creates an ignorant and conformist population, which displays the effects that come from lack of literature. The novel follows the life of Guy Montag who is a fireman. In the novel, the task carried out by firemen is to burn books, not put out fires.
Words are powerful; they can bring out the harsh reality of things. In Fahrenheit 451, books were burned for that reason--the words written inside them made people unhappy, so they burned them. Reading causes you to think deeply, creating another reason for their incineration. For the society in this novel, ignorance is bliss. The knowledge that they didn’t have created meaningless daily routines that held no true significance, other than the fact that they were alive.
In the book, firemen are manned with flamethrowers instead of fire extinguishers to burn books. People are brainwashed that books are dangerous and that they must be destroyed. Several book burning incidents in his lifetime had influenced Bradbury to plot the story in this way. According to Weller (2013), Bradbury wrote about the influence of Hitler’s and Stalin’s book burnings in a later introduction to Fahrenheit 451 which was published in 1966. This clearly shows that book burning was at the forefront of his mind when he wrote his novel.
