Todd Smith

Mrs. Cramer
Comp I Period 6
4 May 2018

Censorship: The suppression or prohibition of books

A sudden strange sound of a jet roaring. A sudden snap and crackle. It turns out, the

sound you are hearing is not what you expected. In fact, the sound you are hearing is books

burning. Innocent books being burned because they are illegal. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

uses these tangible objects to portray a simple message. This message is conveyed through

different forms of figurative language and literary devices throughout the book. Some examples

include: personification, similes, analogies, and irony. Overall, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 uses

figurative language and literary devices to create a classic novel.

To start, Bradbury uses personification to create a classic novel. Within Fahrenheit 451,

Bradbury uses this figurative language to make an inanimate object seem real. This differs from

various books in the way Bradbury uses personification. For example, on page 35, “The bell in

the ceiling kicked itself two thousand times” (Bradbury). A little background, the book is based

on the burning of books. Bradbury places a strong emphasis on censorship throughout the book.

The definition of personification is: the attribution of human nature or character to animals,

inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure (Personification).

Personification in this book is vital to the overall meaning. Personification creates a human-like

personality to inhuman objects. The bell being within a firehouse is crucial for the book. The bell

alarms and signals the fireman that there is a report of books. Books are banned. Firemen then go

to the scene to find books and put them in a bin. Instead of a regular fireman who puts out a fire,

they start one. Firefighters create the fire, burn the books and destroy the evidence. Bradbury

uses the bell, claiming it performs a human action to generate a classic novel.
 Furthermore, Bradbury uses another figurative language. On page 103, Bradbury uses a

simile to describe the books dancing in the fire. The books dancing in the fire is the whole theme.

Bradbury is intelligent when utilizing the simile because it adds to the overall value of the novel.

A simile is comparing two things using like or as. The example Bradbury used is, “the books

leaped and danced like roasted birds, their blaze with red and yellow feathers” (Bradbury). This

example is essential to the value of the book because it describes the main plot of the book.

When describing the books burning, he uses this simile only to add value to this classic novel.

In addition, Ray Bradbury uses an analogy. This is another example of the figurative and

literary devices found within Fahrenheit 451. An analogy is a comparison between two things for

the purpose of clarification on the subject at hand. The example used is, “The salamander

devours his tail” (Bradbury). What Bradbury is talking about when he mentions a salamander is

the firemen. Towards the end of the book, the firemen receive a call for a house that has books in

it. They rush to the scene to find that it is the house of a fellow fireman. The salamander devours

his tail meaning they are devouring themselves. They are setting fire to their own kind. This is

considered a betrayal to the fireman community. They all have taken an oath to restrict books

being implemented into the culture. The fireman is going back on his oath and committing the

crime the punish every day. This is a good analogy to use because of the value it adds to the

novel. Figurative language and literary devices add value to the book.

Finally, Bradbury uses irony to enhance his book. An example of irony used in

Fahrenheit 451 is, “…he heard the fire sirens start up and run, and the salamanders coming,

coming to burn Mr. Black’s house” (Bradbury). This is an essential example of the plot of the

book. This example relates to the previous example in the last paragraph. The irony of the job

responsibility and the call go hand in hand. That is what creates the irony in this situation. The
firemen or the “salamanders” were dispatched to Mr. Black’s house, who is a fireman himself.

This example is vital to the value of the book. The example creates a classic novel filled with an

even better plot for the reader to enjoy.

In conclusion, Ray Bradbury uses figurative language and literary devices to create a

classic novel. With the use of figurative language and literary devices, Bradbury makes

Fahrenheit 451 a book that is interesting to everyone. Bradbury uses examples such as

personification, similes, analogy, and irony. These examples only add value to the overall

meaning and plot of the book, Fahrenheit 451. Overall, the use of figurative and literary devices

in this book creates a classic novel for everyone to read.

 Works Cited

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine Books, 1953, Print.

“Personification.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/personification.