Symbolism Of Burning Books In Fahrenheit 451

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Name Teacher Class Date Fahrenheit 451 Essay Burning Books The title Fahrenheit 451, the temperature at which books burn, strongly depicts the meaning and illustration of this novel. All it took was one flick of a match and the kerosene swallows the house full of hidden knowledge. The houses that suffered through the consuming fire smolder for days, but Montag’s heart would smolder for the rest of his life. The number on Montag’s helmet, 451, not only symbolized books burning, but also stood for the destruction of wisdom. Montag realized he was not just burning the books but also the author, and the author’s knowledge behind each one. “It took a man a lifetime maybe to put some of his thoughts down, looking around at the world and life.” We understand that the temperature Fahrenheit 451 burns perhaps a lifetime of knowledge. Fahrenheit 451 is not destructible because of its flames or heat, but because of its ability to tear down something that was meant to be read and…show more content…
When nobody thinks for themselves the world is run by the only few that do. When a society is run by a select few people, there are no checks and balances to keep things running. Ray Bradbury wrote “a novel of censorship and defiance” to show us what will happen if nobody questions, challenges, or thinks for themselves. “ He had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs...” to realize what really lied behind the books. Under every book that was turned into ash was a person that challenged society, and wrote down their thoughts. They took decades to write but seconds to burn. They were burned because people were afraid of knowledge, and understanding. Ray Bradbury used burning and censorship to show us that we really need to think for ourselves. Our world is decaying because we do what we’re told without our own

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