Despite the irony and humor in the banning of a book that warns about the consequences of banning books, there has been excessive focus on this topic. As a result, the political and social message that Ray Bradbury intended to convey through symbolism and parallelism between his fictional dystopian society in the twenty-fourth century and Cold War America, the time when the book was written, is widely disregarded.
In his novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury repeatedly employs the phoenix as a symbol of Social Darwinism, underscore the future State Of America. Amidst the chaotic era marked by book censorship and imminent nuclear war in America, Bradbury addresses political tensions of the cold war era and the growing influence of media in society, which has led to intellectual mediocrity. The phoenix serves as a symbol used skillfully by Ray Bradbury throughout Fahrenheit 451 to represent his belief in Social Darwinism.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Darwinism and Social Darwinism are the utilization of biological principles like natural selection and survival of the fittest in sociology and politics. Ray Bradbury alludes to society’s cyclical nature, indicating that communities go through phases of intellectual advancement and decline. Instances of such cycles can be observed in contrasting periods like the Dark Ages and the Age of Enlightenment, as well as times of social and political abundance or mediocrity. At present, we find ourselves in one of these periods characterized by mediocrity.
The phoenix, a bird from Egyptian mythology, is well-known for its ability to die and then come back to life using its own remains. Ray Bursary frequently references this legendary creature when discussing Social Darwinism, suggesting that society follows a repetitive cycle (Assyria). Furthermore, the phoenix symbol is juxtaposed with that of a salamander to illustrate how fire can be utilized to reconstruct a society after its downfall.
The idea of the phoenix rising from its own ashes symbolizes the turning point in a society’s natural cycle. After a period of intellectual stagnation, a new and prosperous society emerges. In “Fahrenheit 451,” the phoenix represents growth and renewal, in contrast to the salamander which symbolizes destruction. The salamander, a dangerous lizard associated with the fireman’s society, represents the negative impact of fire. However, fire also has significant influence on society in the novel, highlighting the cyclical nature of societal evolution.
The primary aim of the character Granger is to explicitly explain the process of the natural cycle. As the leader of the “Book People,” Granger introduces Montage to the world of books that society has been withholding from him. Granger is dedicated to preserving literature through the Dark Age by oral recitation. He believes that after the war is over, books can be written again. People will be called in one by one to recite what they know, and it will be set up in type until another Dark Age, when the whole process might need to be repeated (Bradbury 146).
Granger symbolizes the potential for a revival, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, in the event that the dyspeptic society of Montage’s reality were to destroy itself. Granger is fully aware of the possibility that war could lead to their society’s self-destruction through fire. In such a scenario, Granger would be the one to rebuild their society, like the Assyrians rising from the ashes. However, he also alludes to the inescapable return of a Dark Age or another revolution in the natural cycle by comparing it to the mythical phoenix. Long ago, there was a foolish bird called a phoenix that would create a pyre and burn itself up every few hundred years, a cycle that would repeat.
Despite the recurring cycle of burning and rebirth, we possess a unique advantage over the phoenix. We are conscious of our past foolish actions throughout history. By acknowledging our mistakes and remaining mindful of them, we may eventually cease creating destructive situations for ourselves. In Bradbury’s novel “Fahrenheit 451,” Granger draws a connection between this repetitive pattern and the notion of history repeating itself. Despite our awareness of previous errors, we persist in perpetuating them. The book culminates with a devastating bombing that symbolizes society’s self-destruction as well as its subsequent renewal. This event can be interpreted as the conclusion of a dark era and the emergence of an enlightened society.
However, although society has been reborn at the end of the novel through the “Book People”, because the outcasts understand the idea behind the natural cycle they also understand that another Dark Age will occur and when it does they will be ready for it (McNeill). The Phoenix is also used in the novel as a symbol in association with Captain Beauty, who has knowledge of the past and history of banning books. Because of his plethora of history knowledge Beauty uses this information to help questioning firemen such as Guy Montage to understand why they do what they do.
Ironically, the character uses his knowledge to justify the role of firemen in society, while others who learn about their society’s history immediately realize that the actions of firemen are immoral. The fact that Captain Beauty wears a hat with a Phoenix on it and drives a “Phoenix Car” is significant because it symbolizes that, tragically, although Beauty has knowledge of history, he only sees it as a curiosity and does not comprehend the consequences of censorship and book burnings. This is because he himself is a victim of media and desires to maintain the current state of affairs.
Symbolically, the death of Beauty by fire represents a rebirth, as associated with the phoenix sign. When Guy Montage kills Beauty, he is compelled to run away and unite with Granger, signifying a rebirth into a new intellectual existence” (Assyria). Fire, closely connected with the phoenix, serves as the central symbol in the novel. It destroys books and restricts freedom of thought, but also has the power to initiate fresh beginnings.
Ray Bradbury uses fire to draw a connection between the events in his dystopian society of the twenty-fourth century and the contemporary events of the time when the novel was written. The novel depicts firemen who are tasked with igniting fires in the residences of book owners. Throughout history, figures like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin have used book burnings as a means to garner support and intimidate those with differing perspectives (“Fahrenheit 451: The Temperature at Which Books Burn”). Books represent the pinnacle of freedom and the right to express oneself; thus, burning books deprives society of creativity and the ability to engage in critical thinking.
The novel Fahrenheit 451 is controversial because it portrays suppressing knowledge and eradicating unique ideas to prevent public rebellion. As stated by Bradbury (58), a book is considered a dangerous weapon that can ignite rebellion and breach the minds of individuals. The connection to current events is made through the reference to the cold war and the concerns surrounding the invention of the A-Bomb.
During the time that Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, the invention of the A-Bomb instilled a sense of fear that allowed repression to flourish in society (Fahrenheit 451). The novel effectively portrays this atmosphere and ultimately depicts the self-destruction of a dystopian society trapped in a recurring pattern of ignorance and enlightenment. The media, particularly television, is portrayed as a means of control in the novel’s dystopian society, resembling the role of social media in real life, and contributing to an intellectually stagnant status quo.
Because media holds significant appeal as a form of entertainment in many societies, it becomes a convenient tool for managing the environment of a populace and fostering the desired social norms for a particular way of life. The diffusion of ideals and social norms across a community and their widespread adoption by the majority of the population mainly occurs through mass media platforms such as television and popular magazines. The media is responsible for constructing the notion of “outsiders” who fail to conform to the influence of social media’s brainwashing, which naturally appears peculiar and threatens the established system.
This evidence of the threat posed by outsiders is demonstrated when Montage is considered an outsider and is pursued by a mechanical Hound sent by the government to eliminate him. According to Spencer (331-342), the characters in Fahrenheit 451 reside in a consumer culture that relies on keeping them confined within controlled environments such as their homes, cars, and fire stations. When they venture outdoors and detach from the media that shapes their secure world, the society loses its hold over them.
A comparison can be made between a social outcast in Montage’s society and someone who conforms to social norms by examining the contrasting characteristics of Millie, Guy Montage’s wife, and Claries. These two individuals exhibit opposite social behaviors that greatly affect Guy Montage. Millie, also known as Mildred, exemplifies those who fully embrace society’s fundamental beliefs and submit to the values portrayed in mass media. She is satisfied with her own lifestyle and those of others because she has been indoctrinated and influenced by peer pressure.
Claries, in contrast to Miles, is not satisfied with their society. She symbolizes innocence and social contrast, ultimately making Guy question societal norms and customs. Through her youth and innocence, she represents hope. However, society takes control once again when Claries mysteriously disappears and is allegedly killed in a car accident. Her disappearance eliminates a perceived threat to society and aims to erase Guy’s newfound ideas influenced by his interactions with Claries (“McClellan”).
Fire and the phoenix are both recurring symbols in Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451. They represent both destruction and hope for a new society arising from the remains of the old dystopia. This concept mirrors the theory of Social Darwinism and the cyclical nature of societal regression. By depicting the protagonist, Guy Montag, living in a dystopian society, Bradbury tackles current political concerns and showcases the impact that freedom and creativity can have on a society manipulated by the media.
