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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The Hearth. Hearth: the floor of a fireplace, usually of stone, brick, etc., often extending a short distance into a room. Traditional symbol of the home Fire is the dominant image in Montag’s life. The Salamander. Official symbol of the firemen
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The Hearth • Hearth: thefloorofafireplace,usuallyofstone,brick,etc.,oftenextendingashortdistanceintoaroom. • Traditional symbol of the home • Fire is the dominant image in Montag’s life.
The Salamander • Official symbol of the firemen • The name the firemen give their truck • Ancient beliefs are that the salamander lives in fire and is unaffected by flames.
The Sieve and the Sand • Sieve: strainer, sifter • Taken from Montag’s childhood memory of trying to fill a sieve with sand and crying at the impossibility of the task • Sand symbolizes a tangible truth Montag seeks • Sieve represents his mind trying to grasp a truth that remains elusive and impossible to grasp. • i.e. Montag’s attempt to read the Bible as quickly as possible on the subway in the hope that, if he reads fast enough, some of it will stay in his memory.
Guy Montag • Not a perfect hero; he is often confused, frustrated and overwhelmed • Because he has difficulty deciding what to do, he is often rash, inarticulate, misguided, self-obsessed and too easily swayed; often not even aware of why he does things. • Subconscious actions: taking the book, setting Beatty on fire. These actions represent his desire to rebel against the norm.
Clarisse McClellan • Gentle, innocent, curious • Introduces Montag to the world’s potential beauty • Outcast from society because of her odd habits, like hiking, admiring flowers, asking questions
Mildred Montag • Suicide attempts suggest that she is in great pain; obsession with television is a means to avoid life • Frightening character because she is cold, distant, and unreadable – something unexpected for the wife of the main character. • She is empty, a shell of a human being, without any sincere emotional, intellectual or spiritual substance, even where her husband is concerned.
Captain Beatty • Complex character, full of contradictions • Obviously cared passionately about books at some point • Says he prefers his life of instant pleasure, but it is easy to get the impression that he is denying his true feelings • His conflict is so great that he doesn’t even attempt to prevent his own death