Fire in Fahrenheit 451

Just as fire is a significant metaphor in Hard Times, it is also a large part of Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451.

This ubiquitous symbol can be subject to a myriad of interpretations, which is evident in these two texts. While Dickens uses fire to represent an individual's (particularly Louisa's) spirit and livelihood (or lack thereof), fire in Fahrenheit 451 is a purely destructive element: it destroys knowledge, and ultimately, the complexities of humanity. Although fire serves two almost completely opposite functions in these novels, they are related in that--whether it is for good or for evil--both authors acknowledge the sheer power of fire as a catalyst of change.