Shortly after the end of World War II, there was a battle between the world's two most powerful nations. The battle between the US and USSR was never physically fought, although tensions were rising. War seemed very eminent in the early 1950's. The main dispute was what kind of government would be installed in Europe. The US wanted capitalism, and the USSR wanted communism. At this same time, America had just started using color television, which was only one year old. Is it possible to imagine living in a room with 4 walls full of TVs? Americans are used to having at least one television set in their house, and often one per room. In this society, however, there are rooms reserved just for watching television. Many locals, such as Mildred, Montag's wife, are glued to television walls for most of the day. In this society, all books are burned. It is actually illegal to own any books, let alone read them. In this society firemen have a different role than the firemen in today's world. Instead of putting out fires in houses, firemen "[have] the task of starting fires to destroy books"(Moss 95). Destroying books has become part of the job description of a fireman, because that is really all firemen do in this society. In this futuristic society, all houses have one thing in common, they "have always been fireproof"(Bradbury 8). When houses became fireproof, firemen were no longer required, so instead of finding a new profession, society gave them a new job. The society being described here is the one in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Through imagery and symbolism of fire, Salamander, and the mechanical hound, Ray Bradbury illustrates the fall from innocence and change of Guy Montag.
Ray Bradbury uses a great deal of fire imagery and symbolism to prove his theme of the change of Guy Montag. Guy Montag goes through a fall from innocence, because of his blindness to reality. He is a man whose profession is a fireman. He truly loves his job, and thinks that he is happy. In the society created in Fahrenheit 451, firemen are a disparaging force. Their main purpose is to destroy books. Every fireman has to wear a fire hat that has a specific number. All books, and paper burn at 451 degrees Fahrenheit. Ironically Montag's number is 451. Montag wears his hat "with his symbolic numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black" (Bradbury 113) In this quote, Montag is burning many books in an old woman's house. Montag's enjoyment of burning books ended when he met Clarrise Mcellan. The first question that she asked him was if he was truly happy in life. His first response was yes, although when he actually thought about it, he realized he wasn't. Shortly after this, Montag begins to question society as a whole, and doesn't trust in anything, or anybody. Montag was originally innocent because he did not know that he was doing anything wrong. The phoenix myth is a great example of fire symbolism. Fahrenheit 451 suggests that the society Ray Bradbury created is the phoenix, and that eventually it will be reborn such as in the Phoenix myth. A fireman's uniform includes a salamander on the sleeves, and a phoenix on the chest. Clarrise is the first person to notice the symbolism of the fireman's uniform. She is mesmerized "by the salamander on his arm and the phoenix disc on his chest. She raised her eyes from his professional symbols" (Bradbury 6). Clarrise is also the first person who really tries to change Montag's perspective on the society as a whole.
Not only does Bradbury use fire symbolism and imagery to demonstrate Montag going through a transformation and change, he also uses Salamander imagery and symbolism. The Salamander plays a very important role in Fahrenheit 451. The name of the car that all firemen drive is the Salamander. This is ironic because in the myth of the phoenix, the Salamander is a theme of rebirth. Montag goes through a phase where he undergoes a rebirth of his mind, because he starts to think differently and has a new perspective. Montag starts to think differently when he "burnt a thousand books. [He] burnt a woman" (Bradbury 50). If a person is willing to sacrifice their life for books, then books are not actually that bad, and hold some importance. Not only does the Salamander represent rebirth, it also represents censorship. While on a mission to burn books, "The Salamander boomed to a halt, throwing men off in slips and clumsy hops" (Bradbury 110). This quote has a literal as well as a figurative meaning. The literal meaning is that the Salamander is just a car that is not sturdy enough. In the figurative meaning the men represent the society, and the Salamander represents the government that is censoring everything. The main thing that is being censored are books, although there are many other things that are being censored such as the war, and all politics in general. Censorship didn't only occur in the society in Fahrenheit 451, it also occurred in "the nazi regime […][as well as in the] Soviet Union where government-sponsored censorship [was] considered a threat to personal freedom" (Telgen 148). There is always a constant threat of the government to censor things, even in the United States, although in the society of Fahrenheit 451, the censorship is almost irreversible.
Not only does Bradbury use fire and Salamander symbolism and imagery to demonstrate Montag going through a transformation and change, he also uses mechanical hound imagery and symbolism. Although the mechanical hound may not have a very large role in Fahrenheit 451, it plays a large role symbolically. The mechanical hound represents fear and the dehumanizing side of technology. Montag has a great fear of the mechanical hound because "it doesn't like [him] [...][and also because] it follows through, it targets itself, homes itself, and cuts off" (Bradbury 26). What Montag fears the most is that the mechanical hound is always following him around. The mechanical hound works for government departments such as fire and police. Throughout the day, firemen send out hounds to snoop around the city and find houses with books in them. Once the hound finds a house with books in it, the hound reports back the address to the fire station. The purpose of the mechanical hound for the police is to inject anesthetics into criminals. Another purpose is for tracking down suspects and criminals. Just one mechanical hound can keep a record of ten thousand different scents. Even while Montag was a fireman, every time "he turned [around] the mechanical hound was there" (Bradbury 120). The hound was always watching and following Montag because he was actually hiding books secretly.
Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 during the 1950's, which were a time of uncertainty. He lived during a time when color television was very new. He tried to foresee the future when he wrote this novel. Supposedly this book doesn't take place so far into the future. Ray Bradbury thought that in the future, books would be used rarer and rarer, until they become almost obsolete. He even thought that people would become so obsessed with television that they would have walls designed for it. Who knows, Bradbury may still turn out to be right. Although one thing is certain, Guy Montag does go through a transformation and change. The symbolism and imagery of fire, the Salamander, and the mechanical hound help Ray Bradbury demonstrate Montag's change and transformation.
Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Random House, 1953.
Dietz, Frank. "Fahrenheit 451," Masterplots. Ed-Frank N. Magili. Rev. 2nd ed. Pasadena, California, Englewood cliffs, NJ, Salem, 1949, #2180.
Moss, Joyce, and George Wilson. "Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury." Literature and its Times. Vol. 4. Detroit:Gale, 1997; 95-100
Telgen, Diane, ed. "Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury, 1953. "Novels for Students. Vol. 2. Detroit:Gale, 1997. 138-157.