A symbol of our love...
Just kidding! This is certainly not about love, but it is about symbols. As you've probably realized by now, Fahrenheit 451 is a heavily symbolic novel. It has actually been called "the only major symbolic dystopia [that is, anti-utopia] of our time." The most powerful symbols in literature are powerful precisely because they cannot be reduced simply, if at all, to any single True Meaning (which makes you all happy because you have something to argue). Even the symbols in the Bible are, to use another technical term from academics, "multivalent"--in other words, rich with multiple (although not necessarily infinite and certainly not arbitrary) meaning.
In Scripture, for example, fire is sometimes a symbol of God's glory (Ex. 19:18; Psalm 29:7-9), sometimes a symbol of God's judgment (e.g. Gen. 19:24, 28; Matt. 3:11-12); and sometimes a symbol of sanctification (e.g. Mal. 3:2-4; Acts 2:3-4). Sometimes it represents all three of those ideas in one verse. Similarly, the fire throughout Fahrenheit 451 operates symbolically. As you read, or shall I say re-read or scan, find an occurrence of fire--either literal or figurative--and suggest a symbolic meaning with which Ray Bradbury invests fire. Write that occurrence (page number would be helpful plus the passage verbatim) along with your interpretation.
If you can't find a "fire" reference that is untaken, look at waging war. OK, that's a bit extreme, but you could look to see how war operates symbollically in the book. You may also write about Montag's house (literal function and symbolic function), the river (same deal), or the railroad (ditto).
That should cover it!
Love,
Mrs. D
posted by Sister Sara @ 6:20 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
In the very beginning of the book (pg 1) it opens up talking about Montag burning a house. I think the fire spoken about there is symbolic of the anger that Montag, and probrably the other firefighters, held against the world they were in. Burning provided a much-needed change in their small unchanging world.
Montag's house is so full of symbolic meaning it practically slaps me in the face. To start off, Montag's house is a nice, quiet, humble abode, that also happens to house hundreds of BOOKS, the holders of thoughts. This represents that although Montag appears together on the outside, deep down he houses (no pun intended) hundreds of buzzing, "dangerous" thoughts that will have severe implications should he choose to act on them. The climactic scene of the book, in which Montag torches his own house (if anyone is interested, one of my fantasies :D), is but a visual metaphor of the complete and utter change that is sweeping through Montag. His previous personality and way of living has been metaphorically burnt to the ground, with all his niceties inside, and he now must take intellectual refuge within the transient circle of knowledge made up of all old professors and book-reading iconoclasts.
I'm going to use the same example as Suzy but I have a different view point on it. I think Montag used fire to burn Beatty just as he used fire to burn books, which can symbolize our actions. We can both destroy evil or destroy good. The fire was just a tool, it was not inherently good or bad. Which show that the information (such as what is in books) is not bad or good, it's the way we use the information that determines it's value. I have no idea if that made any sense to anyone else, but it made sense to me:)
I'm going to use the same example as Suzy but I have a different view point on it. I think Montag used fire to burn Beatty just as he used fire to burn books, which can symbolize our actions. We can both destroy evil or destroy good. The fire was just a tool, it was not inherently good or bad. Which show that the information (such as what is in books) is not bad or good, it's the way we use the information that determines it's value. I have no idea if that made any sense to anyone else, but it made sense to me:)
First I want to say that I didn't bring my book home, so I can't give the page number or a direct quote. At the end of the book, Granger talks about how the Phoenix burns himself up over and over again. In this example, fire is a destructive thing that the Phoenix never learns to stay away from. It keeps killing him, and he never learns from his mistakes.
This is from Jon:
Fire in the book is a mystery, along with something man wishes they created. Montag lights a light blows it out and lights it again... its something that people are interested in, sometime people want to know about, and something that attracts us to it. though it is extremely useful no one can really figure it out, its just something that people see and catches there eye
p.s. i made a new acount and it still wouldnt let me on even though i just made a password and everything
Luke,
Was that really from Joey or from you? I need to know for grading purposes?
The men on the railroad told Montag about wars and their function in the society. Wars were a way of purging the cities from people and starting the city over again. It was then that the railroad men entered a city and tried to get the importance of books out to other people.
Graded.
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