Fire is very common in basic human life and serves many purposes. With its many uses, the symbolic meaning of fire is open to different interpretations. Regarding Fahrenheit 451, fire can symbolize knowledge, destruction and even rebirth. Ray Bradbury correctly illustrates the ambiguity of fire metaphors through Montag. As Montag gains new perspectives on fire, readers are shown that fire is a very important symbol with multiple meanings. Bradbury first described fire as a harmful force through Montag, a fireman, who burns books. With the converted mentality of his culture, “it was [Montag's] pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed” (3). Montag culture sees burning as a pleasure; however, the fire depicted here demonstrates the destruction of knowledge and personality. Although Montag's profession brings him joy, he does not understand that burning is the most permanent form of destruction. He is unaware of his governments' strong desire to eliminate the ideas and knowledge contained in books. In this society, where ignorance is a blessing and the phobia of unhappiness controls all aspects of life, people believe that their destructive fire “is bright and… clean,” as it is used as a means to keep themselves ignorant and happy (60). Furthermore, Bradbury establishes the difference in the symbolisms of fire by naming the first part of his novel “The Hearth and the Salamander”. The hearth is the hearth of the house and is the most positive image of fire. This fire brings warmth and restores relationships between people. The salamander, symbol of firefighters and which personifies the destruction of fire, is contrasted with the hearth, which represents restoration. Very soon at...... middle of paper ...... a refined vision of his society and instead simply burning, Montag is “burning bright”, communicating his knowledge and powerful emotions. Many times there are numerous meanings of a single thing, and Ray Bradbury effectively demonstrates the different implications of fire through the progression of Montag's thought. From the beginning Montag knows only the harmful force of fire, but gradually comes to understand that fire can be comforting and enlivening. It is this progress in faith that helps Montag transform into an individual and break the obligations of his senseless society. As stated by Bradbury, while fire can cause death and devastation, the warmth, hope and comfort of the flame sustains and replenishes over the centuries, and the same fire that controlled Montag in the recent past will now help him create a new city. assembled from knowledge.