s any addiction in today's society.Of all the symbolism found in the novel Fahrenheit 451, there were some examples that were particularly interesting. Bradbury mentions "this great python" that Guy Montag, the main character, is holding to start a fire (3). This is in reference to the fire hose that Montag holds. This "python's" venom is kerosene, which is used to burn the books. The title of the novel includes the number four hundred fifty-one. Montag wears this number on his sleeve. Significantly four hundred fifty-one degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns. Another interesting use of symbolism deals with the firefighter's helmets. Each firefighter wears a "black beetle-colored helmet" (4). This description comes from the fact that the beetle, with its black horns is connected in literature with Satan. The firefighters are performing satanic acts when burning books. There is symbolism when the character Beatty says "'Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he's burnt his damn wings, he wonders why'" (113), which is similar to the greek mythological character Icarus. Beatty alludes to Icarus the son of Daedalus. After Daedalus makes wings and teaches his son to fly, he warns the boy to not fly too close to the sun. Icarus, intrigued with the power of flight, flies close to the sun and the wax which holds the wings together melts, dropping him into the sea below. He drowns. Beatty also says "You think you can walk on water" (118). By tying these two points together, Beatty is basically saying that if Montag continues to "fly" higher, then he better be able to save himself when the time comes. These examples of symbolism were entertaining pieces of the novel.Bradbury's themes are usually either slightly hidden or obvious. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, Bradbury had published a story dealing with racism. "The Big Black and White Game" takes place on a warm summer day. Some servant...
