Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of the main character, Guy Montag. At first, Montag carries out his duties as a firefighter without worry. He is not the traditional firefighter, but burns illegally owned and banned books and their owners' homes. However, Montag begins to question the value of books, his work, and his life in general. Throughout Fahrenheit 451 Montag is in conflict with his entire existence, eventually running away from society and stumbling into joining an underground community of intelligent people. With his new friends, Montag witnesses bombs crash on his old town and decides to rebuild a new society with the knowledge he now possesses. In this brief summary, however, there is one central symbol that stands out. I chose fire and I think it's quite an interesting symbol because it can have different meanings in the book and will follow the theme. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayFire, of course, can have its typical meaning. Fire destroys and burns anything in its path. Fire is used at the very beginning of the book, when firefighters break into a woman's house to incinerate the book and the woman's house. When the woman refuses to leave the house, they burn her too. You could say this lit a fire in Guy Montag, who witnessed this event with his own eyes. As the reader continues reading the book, we see Guy's flames grow brighter and bigger. He's starting to think independently, thinks censorship is crazy and books are precious. This reminds me of a moment in Part 1 where Clarisse talks to Guy about candle lights (as well as fire) and how, when controlled, they symbolize self-awareness and knowledge. We see him grow more and more as a character, to the point that when he has to escape from society, his flames have become really big, but at the same time controlled. I also want to talk about when the city explodes, because it determines what the theme will be. When I first read the scene where the city was completely demolished, I was shocked. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Just like a forest fire, when the city was destroyed, it was devastating. But since Guy and the rest of the intellectuals can start over, just like a forest fire, they will slowly but surely grow back to be bigger and better. I really love this theme because it's something that anyone can learn from and relate to A. The theme is: Even when you're stripped down, you can always grow back and get better. If you're going through tough times, remember, everything only goes up from here. I have another one that I really like. The other theme is: either you let the flames consume you and burn you or you control them and use them to their full potential. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayConclusion In conclusion, although fire can be destructive, it can pave the way for newer and greater things. The guy from Fahrenheit 451 is a great example of this. The “flames” may get bigger and bigger, but that person must be able to control them to be a better person. Fire, of course, is destructive and is something that can harm you. The question is, what do you do from there??