Hayden Long
Dr. Walton
ENGL 20 10am
01 March 2018
Fahrenheit 451 Considered a literary marvel, Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic take on the USA, where all physical literature is considered dangerous and burned if found. The story has received critical acclaim as well as the National Book Award in 2000; thus making it a prominent piece of literature for many academic institutions to analyze and decipher. The book’s title refers to the temperature in which paper burns, one of many references to how the book contrasts its dark dystopian future to present day understanding. Fahrenheit 451 hides many themes and symbols in the story, all pointed to the general idea that the censorship of literacy is the greatest threat to American growth and development. …show more content…
Some of this imagery is displayed through the titles of the three chapters. The first chapter is titled “The Hearth and the Salamander”, both referencing fire as a Hearth contains this fire, while the Salamander is the symbol of the firemen in the novel. This symbol, while subtle, gives the reader the thought of Montag becoming more than just a normal firefighter and “freeing his mind” so to speak so that he may experience the world for what it truly is. The second chapter is, “the Sieve and the Sand.” According to Webster’s Dictionary a sieve is, “a device with meshes or perforations through which finer particles of a mixture (as of ashes, flour, or sand) of various sizes may be passed to separate them from coarser ones.” (www.merriam-webster.com) In the novel, a childhood memory is reviled to the reader when Montag was attempting to fill a sieve with sand in order to attain money from his older cousin. The task was described as such, “His hands were tired, the sand was boiling, the sieve was empty. Seated there in the midst of July, without a sound, he felt the tears move down his cheeks.” (Bradbury, 78) Seeing how it was virtually impossible to fill the sieve with sand, it was described as a tedious task that had no end. This same principle could be applied towards the end of the novel when Montag was attempting to …show more content…
While seemingly insignificant nearly five decades ago, every society around the world has access to a television screen. The fear of individuals becoming enveloped within this is present in the novel as Mildred and her friends constantly put most of their time in front of the screen, dulling out most social interaction. Today, the same principle can be applied to all people as humans are social creatures, thus requiring that need for companionship. Otherwise, individuals such as them will become lost and lack skills for social interaction, almost out casting themselves from a society in which they are bred for. Hayley Tsukayama, a journalist for The Washington Post, described Bradbury imagery here as, “The loneliness that can come from constantly paying attention to the screens around you, rather than the life around you, is a prevalent theme…” (Tsukayama, www.washingtonpost.com) So whether or not more individuals are distancing themselves from social events in exchange for a Xbox or phone may influence upcoming youth to either take action or simply allow this idea to take hold and embrace
Dr. Walton
ENGL 20 10am
01 March 2018
Fahrenheit 451 Considered a literary marvel, Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic take on the USA, where all physical literature is considered dangerous and burned if found. The story has received critical acclaim as well as the National Book Award in 2000; thus making it a prominent piece of literature for many academic institutions to analyze and decipher. The book’s title refers to the temperature in which paper burns, one of many references to how the book contrasts its dark dystopian future to present day understanding. Fahrenheit 451 hides many themes and symbols in the story, all pointed to the general idea that the censorship of literacy is the greatest threat to American growth and development. …show more content…
Some of this imagery is displayed through the titles of the three chapters. The first chapter is titled “The Hearth and the Salamander”, both referencing fire as a Hearth contains this fire, while the Salamander is the symbol of the firemen in the novel. This symbol, while subtle, gives the reader the thought of Montag becoming more than just a normal firefighter and “freeing his mind” so to speak so that he may experience the world for what it truly is. The second chapter is, “the Sieve and the Sand.” According to Webster’s Dictionary a sieve is, “a device with meshes or perforations through which finer particles of a mixture (as of ashes, flour, or sand) of various sizes may be passed to separate them from coarser ones.” (www.merriam-webster.com) In the novel, a childhood memory is reviled to the reader when Montag was attempting to fill a sieve with sand in order to attain money from his older cousin. The task was described as such, “His hands were tired, the sand was boiling, the sieve was empty. Seated there in the midst of July, without a sound, he felt the tears move down his cheeks.” (Bradbury, 78) Seeing how it was virtually impossible to fill the sieve with sand, it was described as a tedious task that had no end. This same principle could be applied towards the end of the novel when Montag was attempting to …show more content…
While seemingly insignificant nearly five decades ago, every society around the world has access to a television screen. The fear of individuals becoming enveloped within this is present in the novel as Mildred and her friends constantly put most of their time in front of the screen, dulling out most social interaction. Today, the same principle can be applied to all people as humans are social creatures, thus requiring that need for companionship. Otherwise, individuals such as them will become lost and lack skills for social interaction, almost out casting themselves from a society in which they are bred for. Hayley Tsukayama, a journalist for The Washington Post, described Bradbury imagery here as, “The loneliness that can come from constantly paying attention to the screens around you, rather than the life around you, is a prevalent theme…” (Tsukayama, www.washingtonpost.com) So whether or not more individuals are distancing themselves from social events in exchange for a Xbox or phone may influence upcoming youth to either take action or simply allow this idea to take hold and embrace