Life: Fahrenheit 451 and Ray Bradbury
Burn it Down
Have you ever imagined what it would be like if your house burned down in a fierce fire? In Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451, fire plays a major role in the entire novel. Fire was once very comforting to people, in this novel it was not what so ever. Fire destroyed all problems that came along. It cleansed people’s dilemmas and gave them a chance to start over.
To begin with, fire originally comforted and warmed people. “…in the old days, before homes were completely fire proofed-,” (34). In the past, people used fire to cook or keep warm. Fire wasn’t always used to destroy homes that contained books. In fact homes were once completely fire proofed. Instead of setting fires, firemen were the ones who put them out. “…and so when houses were finally fire proofed completely all over the world, there was no longer a need of firemen for old purposes”, (58). There was a time when homes were all completely fire proofed. With that, there was no longer a need for them. Eventually firemen evolved from fire-fighters to “fire-starters”. They began to start fires in order to control the people. Fire was once a good thing in many people’s eyes.
In the novel, fire destroys the different problems that come along. “You know the law’, said Beatty. Where’s your common sense? None of those books agree with each other.” (38). Beatty and the firemen went to burn down the woman’s home because she had been reading books. The men told her to leave but she refused so they had no choice but to burn her right along with her books. Montag was so distraught but Beatty explained that burning down the lady and her home was no big deal; people like her had it coming. “A book is like a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it.” (58). Like guns, books are hazardous in this society. With knowledge comes power; however the government doesn’t want you to have any type of power. In Farenheit 451, the role of fire is to erase or deal with several problems in the
Have you ever imagined what it would be like if your house burned down in a fierce fire? In Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451, fire plays a major role in the entire novel. Fire was once very comforting to people, in this novel it was not what so ever. Fire destroyed all problems that came along. It cleansed people’s dilemmas and gave them a chance to start over.
To begin with, fire originally comforted and warmed people. “…in the old days, before homes were completely fire proofed-,” (34). In the past, people used fire to cook or keep warm. Fire wasn’t always used to destroy homes that contained books. In fact homes were once completely fire proofed. Instead of setting fires, firemen were the ones who put them out. “…and so when houses were finally fire proofed completely all over the world, there was no longer a need of firemen for old purposes”, (58). There was a time when homes were all completely fire proofed. With that, there was no longer a need for them. Eventually firemen evolved from fire-fighters to “fire-starters”. They began to start fires in order to control the people. Fire was once a good thing in many people’s eyes.
In the novel, fire destroys the different problems that come along. “You know the law’, said Beatty. Where’s your common sense? None of those books agree with each other.” (38). Beatty and the firemen went to burn down the woman’s home because she had been reading books. The men told her to leave but she refused so they had no choice but to burn her right along with her books. Montag was so distraught but Beatty explained that burning down the lady and her home was no big deal; people like her had it coming. “A book is like a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it.” (58). Like guns, books are hazardous in this society. With knowledge comes power; however the government doesn’t want you to have any type of power. In Farenheit 451, the role of fire is to erase or deal with several problems in the