Symbolism

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**Symbolism**
**Hearth** - The hearth is another word for a fireplace. The fireplace is a traditional symbol of the home. So the hearth represents Montag's life at home.

**Salamander** - There are ancient beliefs that the salamander lives in fire and is unaffected by flames. The salamander is a symbol of the firemen as well as the fire trucks. So the salamander represents Montag's life at work.

**Phoenix** -

**Sieve and the Sand** - This part of the book can be associated when talking about both the people of the story and Montag. It relates to Montag because he's like the sieve. When you sift sand through the sieve only keeps the big particles in the sieve but all the sand particles fall out. Montag is like a sieve and the information from the books is like the sand. He wants to understand what the books are trying to say but he doesn't perceive it so it's like it all passes over his head. The information from the books symbolizes the sand because Montag doesn't understand it so it just falls through the sieve.

When you are talking about the people of the book, it goes like this: when you sift through the sand and there are all the big particles left over. The people could probably be conscious of the information yet they pay no attention to it because they are so wrapped up into the things that they only want to focus on. A good example of this would be like Beatty. He knows everything that is going on and understands what Montag is going through but he doesn't do anything about it. He stays with the norm and goes with the flow. So that symbolizes the big particles. After sifting through the sand, the big particles are left over yet the people of the book don't do anything about it because they get offended from what is in the books. Those big particles are most likely rocks and sticks and those are useless, just like the information the people don't care about.

**Mirrors** - Mirrors are present as a symbol at the very beginning and the very end of the the book. In the beginning, Montag describes Clarisse and her eyes as mirrors that he can see himself reflected in. At the end of the book, Granger says they must build a mirror factory, so they can take a long look at themselves. Mirrors in this book symbolize seeing one's true self and self understanding of seeing oneself clearly.

__**Literature and Writing**__

 * 1) At the end of the novel, Granger tells Montag that they all need to remember not to feel superior; that it is the books, not the people who read them, which are important. Earlier in the novel, Faber claimed that books themselves didn't matter, only that life was reflected in them. Are these contradictory or complementary statements?**

I think that these statements complement eachother, because they are both basically saying the same thing. They both are saying that the books themselves don't matter, it's what you take from the books, and/or what you get out of them that matters.


 * 2) If books and TV both have the capacity to convey information at a mass scale, then why are books so superior to telelvision in this novel?**

I think that books are superior to TV in this novel, because Bradbury purposely made it seem that television was mindless. In a way it is. This question goes along with the one we discussed in class about why does society like violence. Most stuff on TV is mindless chaos, and only once in while you find a good show or movie that is meaningful and has a good moral meaning. Books on the otherhand, are a lot more meaningful. You can learn a lot more by reading a book and learning aomething new (even if it's as simple as learning what a word means) instead of, watching TV and seeing mindless stuff.

I think Mrs. Bowles starts crying whe Montag reads Dover Beach because she has never heard something so meaningful or emotional as that peom. Their society is very shallow and surface level for relationships, so Mrs. Bowles was so unexposed to emotion before she heard Dover's Beach. It was too sensitive and serious for her. Montag chose poetry for the emotional part of it, he wanted to show these women the quality and meaningfulness of poetry. Dover's Beach, in particular, was an emotional and deep poem. Lastly, Dover Beach is about people who have lost faith in God, and just have lost faith in general. Their lives were unpurposeful, just like in Montag's society.
 * 3.) Why does Mrs. Bowles start crying when Montag reads Dover Beach? Why does Montag choose to read poetry and not prose? And why that particular poem? What is Dover Beach about, anyway?**

**4.) What do you make of those line about the eggs from Gulliver's Travels? What does that have to do with anything that's going on in Fahrenheit 451?**

I think that the line about the eggs is saying that so many people refuse to surrender their will or want in order to stand up for theirself or what they believe, instead of giving in. Sometimes there is actual reasoning behind it, but sometimes people are needy, high maintenance, and little brat faces that need to suck it up. This quote can be taken in the positive or negative way. It's circumstantial.

__**Technology and Modernization**__

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__**Rules and Order**__

 * They are "rebels". Is it worth fighting for? Yes, because from their point of view, if they were to stop, that small group of rebels would turn into a big group. Clarisse opened Montag's mind up to new things which cause rebellion in him. He was different but he wouldn't of done anything about it without Clarisse "coaxing" him. He just knew the normal everyday events of life. She showed him that there is a different way, basically opening up the doors to new options. Why is Clarisse considered different? She is anti-social. She chooses to be different. She has a different mindset on life. She basically sees in between the lines of everything in life. She made up her mind and chose to have that mindset. **

__**Wisdom and Knowledge**__

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__**Violence**__

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__**Identity**__
** 1.) When Montag recalls Mildred's suicide attempt, he claims that that was a different Mildred, one completely remote from the woman he knows on a daily basis. Is this a legitimate way to understand his wife's unhappiness? Or does he misconstrue the scenario? **

I believe that, in a sense, Montag is right. The Mildred that he sees every day is a fake, material Mildred who is hiding her unhappiness and pretending that life is great. Obviously, on the inside, we see that she is truly unsatisfied and upset with the world. Nothing is ever good enough for her and her wants can't be fulfilled. This is why she denies her suicide attempt. She wants to be seen as happy. All of those things are part of his identity. Clarisse, Faber, and his impulsive hands, have all brought out different sides of Montag. He hasn't changed, but these people and things have inspired him to be himself and make a difference. He had multiple sides of him, just like everybody else. Clarisse brought out his joy, sensitivity, and reminded him of himself, Faber brought out the fighter in him, and his hands reflected how curious he was for what was inside books.
 * 2.) Montag often splits his identity-he hears Clarisse talking through him, or he's got Faber in his ear, or he imagines his hands acting of their own accord-but which is the "real" Montag?**

3) Guy speaks of becoming a new person, a "Montag-plus-Faber." Does this mean he's not thinking for himself as he originally desired? Considering that he has been careful to not just listen to faber, and has been making his own decisions i see this as they are becoming a team just as you could say faber-montage. They are working together, but thinking for themselves. Everyone needs a mentor, and/or a partner.

__**Dissatisfaction**__

 * Most of the people think that they are happy, but really they are just content with what has happened. They don't look at the big picture. The difference between being content and being happy is that if you are content, you are ok with everything, even if you don't particularly agree with what has happened. Being happy is having the view that everything is good and life will go on no matter what happens. Guy yells at his wife for never being bothered by something. This is a good thing because you should never not be worried. Most likely his yelling at her would help her realize that things aren't right and that things should be different. Guy was never happy. He thought he was until he met Clarisse. She really opened up his mind to this idea and in a way got to him psychologically. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he wasn't happy. **

__**Man and the Natural World**__

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