Literary Studies 11 – Fahrenheit 451 Project

Here is my Fahrenheit 451 project down bellow.

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Blood

Blood appears throughout the novel as a symbol of a human being’s souls or self being. Montag often feels his most revolutionary thoughts circulating in his blood. Mildred, who sometimes seems completely oblivious to what the society is going through. She remains unchanged when her poisoned blood is replaced with fresh, mechanical blood by the Electric Eyed Snake machine. The symbol of blood is related to the Snake machine. Bradbury uses the electronic device to reveal Mildred’s corrupted insides and shows how delusional she really is. The Snake has explored “the layer upon layer of night and stone and stagnant spring water,” but its replacement of her blood could not help her soul. Her poisoned, replaceable blood relates to the empty lifelessness of Mildred, and the countless others like her in their society.

The Phoenix

After the bombing of the city, Granger compares mankind to a phoenix that burns itself up and then rises out of its ashes. Man’s advantage is his ability to recognize when he has made a mistake so that eventually he will learn not to make that mistake anymore. Remembering the mistakes of the past is what Granger and his group have set for themselves. They believe that individuals are not as important as the whole culture and history. The symbol of the phoenix’s rebirth refers not only to the nature of history and the collective rebirth of humankind but also to Montag’s spiritual resurrection.

Mirrors

At the very end of the novel, Granger says they must build a mirror factory to take a long look at themselves. This point recalls Montag’s description of Clarisse as a mirror in “The Hearth and the Salamander.” Mirrors in this novel are symbols of self understanding of seeing oneself clearly.

“The Hearth and The Salamander”

Bradbury uses images as the title of the first part of Fahrenheit 451. The hearth, or fireplace, is a traditional symbol of the home which is where the book starts. The salamander is one of the official symbols of the firemen, as well as the name they give to their fire trucks. Both symbols have to do with fire. The most important image of Montag’s life is the hearth because it contains the fire that heats a home, and the salamander because of ancient beliefs that it lives in fire and is unaffected by flames.

“The Sieve and The Sand”

The title of the second part ofFahrenheit 451is The Sieve and the Sand which is taken from Montag’s childhood memory of trying to fill a sieve with sand on the beach to get a dime from a cousin and crying at the thought of the task. He compares this memory to his attempt to read the whole Bible as quickly as possible on the subway. He hopes if he reads fast enough some of the material will stay in his memory. The sand is a symbol of the tangible truth Montag needs and the sieve the human mind needing a truth that remains unsolved.

 

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The impact of technology controlling more spheres of our lives and the possible repercussions: isolation, loneliness, feeling disconnected, increased anxiety and or depression…

Over the years, whether it was during the industrial revolution or the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has evolved. From smart cell phones to self-driving cars to artificial intelligence and machine learning, we as humans have continued to develop sophisticated technology of the future. While a lot of these new developments and inventions have positive impacts, they also leave lasting repercussion on society and mental health. The truth is, as we continue to develop and integrate our lives more with technology, we will gradually have less control over it. As stated in the article, ‘Humans are on the verge of merging with machines’, Harari says, “It’s increasingly hard to tell where I end and where the computer begins.” From what I understand Harari’s quote states, that as we continue to develop technology, it is becoming increasingly harder to tell when “it” ends. In the future, it is inevitable that we will reach the point where everything is ran with technology. As we continue, possible repercussions such as isolation, loneliness, feeling disconnected, increased anxiety and depression will continue to set into the population. With the rise of social media in recent years, we’ve allowed it to take precedence over person-to-person interactions thus creating isolated and lonely individuals. As we adapt to new technology, we need to continue to set good boundaries while maintaining a good relationship with the people around you. As mentioned in the article, “Harari’s advice to us is that we shouldn’t just invest in artificial intelligence; we should invest equally in understanding and nurturing human consciousness”. This gives the idea that investing in artificial intelligence and human consciousness are just as important as each other. New technological advancements are never a bad thing, if we use it properly and with caution. As long as we continue investing in new technology, we as humans need to continue having healthy relationships with the everyday technology we use. “We have much to lose if we aren’t more careful about the technologies we are creating right now.”

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