Fire is one of the most rudimentary things in human life. It is also a necessity because it provides warmth and energy to us all. Fire has been used far and wide, people use it to cook food while they are camping or it could set kingdoms a blaze. Within this broad category one of the most significant uses of fire has been to burn books, texts or scrolls. One occasion where fire had destroyed a significant part of culture and knowledge was in 48BC during Caesar’s conquest.
This is when some of his men set fire to the library of alexandria of if not the largest libraries of the ancient world. This traumatic incident lead to Berosus’,the works of Sappho,the works of Hero of Alexandria, and The life of Hypatia being burnt.For these great works of art being being destroyed and many more this event is often referred to knowledge and culture being destroyed.
The themes talking about fire taking away knowledge is seen throughout the great work of literature Fahrenheit 451 written by renowned author Ray Bradbury. This novel centers around Guy Montag a fireman in a dystopian society in which knowledge limited to provide the citizens a fake view of happiness. Yet within this world there are those who believe in finding true knowledge these radicalists that aspire for the true satisfaction from knowledge. Montag begins his journey blind and unconscious to what the government has done to prohibit knowledge from spreading, yet when he begins to gain his vision Montag breaks down the imaginary walls the government has erected. These challenges propel Montag into the wilderness and he returns with a new vision of knowledge and a new perspective of fire.
As Montag’s vision is still pitch black as he begins on his journey he follows the government. He follows them with the idea that he is in control of everything he has done. During this stage where he under the government’s influence Montag view of fire is that it is the finest form of art. As the first statement he makes is “It was a pleasure to burn”(Bradbury 1) this obviously shows how Montag sees what is going on as fine and can’t see the larger picture. He doesn’t see why he has to burn book yet his own inability has lead him to continue to burn. During the beginning of Montag’s journey he loves fire more than anyone else. An example is shown when Montag “grinned a fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame” as everyone else backs away in fear Montag embraces the fire. His view of fire is also stated when he states “Flapping pigeon winged books died on the porch (1)” this is a powerful metaphor relating the burning of books to pigeons. Burning books is such a terrible event it could be related to set pigeons on fire. Yet instead of disgust Montag feels joy as the pigeons die out in the plume of smoke and fire. This portrays the aspects of Montag being a man who loves fire. When Montag encounters a powerful existential question and a tragic event which leaves him questioning is what he is doing right is fire the right choice.
As Montag’s hero’s journey progress he feels dissonance from Clarisse a young girl who completely flips what Montag had been taught as true on it’s head. As Montag meets Clarisse in her milk white dress around the corner and they being back home Clarisse ask a question that shake Montag’s world it set a spark within Montag. “Are you happy”(7) these 3 small word is what started to add vision to Montag’s blind life. This question creates a feeling for Montag ,a feeling of uncertainty. When he was asked the question he quickly responded with “Am I happy of course I am happy”(8). Through deep thought and delving through the depths of his mind he eventually reaches the conclusion that he is in fact unhappy. These word that set of sparck set of an entire chain reaction that pulled Montag away for his known world into something different. As his view has began to change you can see his mood has deteriorated. As he enters his house he states “He still did not want outside light”.(12) this shows how his state of shock and that he is trying to bring thing that he finds normal such as fire from his igniter. In the near future it Won’t be steps like this into the wilderness he shall be fully emerged after a life change event that pushes him across the threshold.
When Montag cross into the wilderness in his journey his vision begins to clear he sees frightening truths that have developed within his community. These truths are revealed Montag and the other firemen spread kerosene in a woman’s house. As this process to fill house with kerosene continues the woman is asked to evacuate ,but she does not. In this society books will be burned regardless of cost even if that cost is human life. “The woman on the porch reached out with contempt for them all, and struck the kitchen match against the railing”.(34)This made Montag question what is in these books that she would die for. He now thought about the book in his hand and the fact the knowledge provide by books is more than government ever wanted people to know. Yet this traumatic event make him “vomit at the odor of kerosene”(41) this scent that he as referred to as natural and perfume made him vomit. This scent that would lead to his beautiful fire disgusted him. His perspective changed completely from an art form to a way to kill for Montag. With a changed perspective Montag jumps down into the abyss.
The abyss a place where every hero reaches his/her lowest point. A hero must reach this point to be reborn and attain selfhood. As Montag’s last job as a fireman heis to burn his own house this is because Beatty has come to the realization that Montag is trying to break the barriers of knowledge that had been placed on society.
“He burnt the bedroom walls and the cosmetics chest because he wanted to change everything, the chairs, the tables, and in the dining-room the silverware and plastic dishes, everything that showed that he had lived here in this empty house and as before, it was good to burn, he felt himself gush out in the fire, snatch, rend, rip in half with flame, and put away the senseless problem. If there was no solution, well then now there was no problem, either. Fire was best for everything!”(109).
Montag has once again embraced fire yet not to burn away books he burn away his past self and almost anything related to it. He has discarded his past of living blind and want to live a new where his vision is clear. He has not yet attained self hood in his darkest moment burn Beatty and is thrown into the abyss having reached selfhood. As his cause for all this madness was
“We never burned right “(113).
Montag believes that this is just he isn’t questioning or following he has accepted his true purpose. Now He was reborn as a new person with a new self he had changed for the better by breaking away from the society that limited the people within it. Running from the chains that bind him understand fire is a tool yet it a deadly tool.
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