The word phoenix had symbolize immortality, but for the people in Fahrenheit451, their only hope was that the phoenix would be burn out, and be reborn again. The myth of the phoenix gave optimism to the life of Montag, to the books, andto the world of Fahrenheit 451. The world was now dying, and nobody seemed tocare, because the government had brainwashed the people. It was a situation,where not only the brave, but the ones who can think for themselves, who canhelp break the government’s control. The life Montag had been a bumpy road.
He thought he had a good life,because he enjoyed his job, and was happy. Soon Montag discovered that he wasnot happy at all, and that his life was nothing. His wife Mildred did not lovehim at all, and his only friend (that he could remember) Clarisse died in a carcrash. All of sudden, he was not happy, but he did not know why. He thoughtmaybe because his wife had pulled the fire alarm on him, but really it was hedid not love her at all. “It’s strange, I don’t miss her at all(155)” Montaghad uncertainly about his marriage, because marriage was suppose to be bondedwith love, but with his marriage love was extinct and nowhere to be seen.
Hislife had died, when his wife Mildred pulled the alarm and had told the firementhat Montag had books. To Montag, the books was like a sweet piece of candy. He did not know why he liked them, but he always wanted more. But when CaptainBeatty forced Montag to burn his own house, Montag’s soul had died, but thenresurrected. His life which was suppose to be happy was burning right in frontof his eyes. How ironic, that Montag was a fireman himself but like the phoenix,Montag rose from his own ashes.
Montag was now reborn, because he knew his lifewas wrong, and that the world was wrong. He did not know why it was wrong, buthe knew that he had to do something about it. He started that by burningCaptain Beatty into “a charred wax doll(119)”. Montag now had the feeling ofhope, not much since he believed he could not do anything. But Montag had nowbroken the control of the government and was using the books as his aid. How ironic, in the real world, people were always talking about how peoplewasted paper, which mean wasting trees, but in the world of Fahrenheit 451,every tree that had been cut down, and was use for books was now being burnedaway.
To the people of Fahrenheit 451 “books show the pores the face oflife,(83)”. The people were scared and uncertain about books, so societydecided to hire firemen to burn the books. Although most people were scared ofbooks, the books acted like their own phoenix by giving people some hope. People like Montag, and Faber.
If it wasn’t for the law of prohibiting books,Montag might have never seen the light, and if wasn’t for the old woman burningherself with books, Montag might have seen what the books actually meant topeople, therefore the books themselves have been reborn. Ironic, that bookswere made to be read, but even without reading, Montag was able to see what theymeant to society. The world of Fahrenheit 451 WAS quite different from the world now. Instead of people fighting for equal rights, people were already equal. Equalin everything from physical abilities to mental abilities.
No problem right?But one constant problem was everyone were always trying to commit suicide. They tried this, because living in the world of Fahrenheit 451 was like hell,because nobody was allowed to think, express their ideas, or to enjoy life. Itseemed the world had no hope in changing, because the government thought thatthey had destroyed the main force against them, books. But the peoplethemselves were optimistic about living a better world, and now had formed analliance to help restore the world. Montag was one of them, he and many othersbelieved a new world with individuality.
All a sudden the phoenix symbolizedthe suicides, the books and hope. If it wasn’t for the suicides, the books,the hope, many people in Fahrenheit 451 would be still living in a nightmare,because they would live in a world, where they would
