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Allusions In Fahrenheit 451

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Allusions in Fahrenheit 451

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character Guy Montag undergoes huge changes throughout the book. In the beginning of the book he is a regular firemen who burns down book owners houses without really a thought in the world. Once he meets a girl named Clarisse he begins to think for himself and realizes that the society that he lives in is not as good as it seems to be. Throughout the book Bradbury references various people in history to allude to Guys change. These allusions help you get a better picture of Guy as a person and his changes throughout the book. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses historical allusions to justify Guy Montag’s transformation from a collectivist to an individualist.
Ray Bradbury …show more content…
While Guy Montag was talking to Clarisse he mentions the firemen Slogan which is “Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner, burn ‘em to ashes, then burn the ashes.”(6) These 3 authors were outcasts while they were writers. William Faulkner was criticized for his writing style and abstract subjects, Walt Whitman was criticized for his sexually charged writing and his sexuality and Edna Millay was not always respected as a writer because she was a woman and like Whitman was criticized for her sexuality. All three of these writers were outcasts from society but overcame that and now have been responsible for writing some of greatest works in literary history. This could be an allusion to the fact that guy might end up like them too. He is different from everyone in his society and is outcasted, but he eventually finds his way and becomes a leader of a movement to bring the books back. William Faulkner, Walt Whitman and Edna Millay are all being erased from the society and Guy is like a reincarnation of them. Montag is not afraid to be an outcast because at the end of the day he is standing up for what he believes to be wrong with the current society. With the use of these allusions Bradburry shows the development of Montag’s character from being a follower to being a leader.
Fahrenheit 451 contains various allusions in the book that hold many hidden meanings. Many of these allusions have different purposes in the book but many of them are there to showcase how Guy Montag may change as the story progresses. By Bradbury using figures in history the reader can further see the complexity of Guy Montag’s character and have a better understanding of why he changed so much throughout the

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