A sieve is a device made of mesh that separates different sized particles, letting the smaller ones fall through. The second part of the novel Fahrenheit 451 is named The Sieve and the Sand. It is named this because in one of Guy’s memories, “Some cruel cousin had said, ‘Fill this sieve [with sand] and you’ll get a dime!’ And the faster he poured, the faster it sifted through...” (74). This memory is important because while on the subway to Faber’s home, Guy is trying to memorize verses from the Bible as quickly as possible, hoping “some of the sand will stay in the sieve” (74). The verses aren’t sticking in his head, falling through like sand. The only thing that he can concentrate on is the silly jingle for a product named Denham’s Dentifrice.
