Sept. 19, 2012
Define SYMBOLISM
The practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.
LINK: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/symbolism
DEFINE IMAGERY
The formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively: the dim imagery of a dream.
LINK: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Imagery?s=t
Discuss three different uses of symbolism and imagery in the book, "Fahrenheit 451." Post a picture of this image with each description.
The Hearth and the Salamander: Both the hearth and the salamander symbolize fire. A hearth is a fireplace and traditionally represents the home. In mythology, the salamander could live in fire and not be harmed. Salamander is also the name of Montag's firetruck.
The Sieve and the Sand: The title of the second part of Fahrenheit 451 symbolizes Montag's effort to learn as he reads (kind of like reading Shakespeare in your English class in the 8th grade). Sand is knowledge that eludes him. The sieve is his mind trying to make the knowledge permanent.
The Phoenix: The mythologies of many Mediterranean cultures include the story of the phoenix, a bird that is consumed by flames but then rises from the ashes. The phoenix is a symbol for renewal, for life that follows death in a cleansing fire. After the city is reduced to ashes by bombers in Fahrenheit 451, Granger makes a direct comparison between human beings and the story of the phoenix. Both destroy themselves in fire. Both start again amid the ashes. If people keep books—which preserve the past and allow people to learn the lessons of prior tragedies—Granger hopes that humanity will remember the suffering caused by destruction, and will avoid destroying itself in the future.
LINK:
http://www.litcharts.com/lit/fahrenheit451/symbols
No comments:
Post a Comment