Fahrenheit 451 - literary Device Question
While
describing the mechanical hounds in the novel, Guy Montag says “Because all we
put into it is hunting and finding and killing. What a shame if that's all
it'll ever know” (Bradbury 54). Is this
description of the hounds symbolic of the firemen themselves? Are the Hounds
and the Firemen really any different, even though the hounds are known as the
greater of the two evils? How does this example of symbolism help to progress
the plot forward?
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ReplyDeleteI believe that the description of the mechanical hounds do symbolize the firemen themselves. The hounds are being told what to do; they are programmed to hunt, find, and kill. This is no different than a fireman. Firemen are ordered to find and burn books while killing people’s joy in life. In the last part of the quote that you provided, it says “…What a shame if that’s all it’ll ever know” (Bradbury 54). This relates directly to the firemen. All they will ever know how to do is burn books instead of fight fires. Instead of doing what modern society considers a “firemen”, they’re doing the exact opposite. They aren’t saving people from burning buildings; they’re letting people burn in their homes. In my opinion, both the hounds and firemen have many similarities to one another. They’re both feared. “So many people are. Afraid of firemen…” (Bradbury 5). Many people may fear the hounds more because of its hunting and killing skills but in reality, they should be as terrified by the firemen as the hounds. Both are powerful and dangerous. The similarities help progress the plot because it gives the reader a sense of danger and suspense. If people weren’t afraid of the firemen then what’s the point of reading the book? By using symbolism, we portray the firemen as scary and dangerous men, such as a villain and mechanical hounds. We read on to find out what will happen and because we are interested by the suspense that the author has created throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with all elements of your analysis of the novel! Something I'd add to your notes though would be when you said that everyone is afraid of the firemen because of their actions, i personally think they are not necessarily afraid of the firemen, but of the government itself. For example at the end of the book, "the city was reduced to ashes" (141) because of the extreme measure taken by the government. In general, the government that exists in the book is very harsh and unforgiving, and the firemen are a great example of that, they burn peoples' houses! I believe that as a result of all the harsh decisions that government makes, people are scared, and the government uses the firemen to keep them that way. This method of governing has been used for centuries, and continues to be used in dictatorships today. I think that this brings to light one of the underlying symbols of novel; that people will do whatever it takes to unite and rebel against common evils, and that everybody's voice/opinion can make a difference. We hit a lot of the same points, we both seem to understand how literary devices impact a novel fairly well!
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