The Great Python

*AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my figurative language essay. My goal was to write a good conclusion. Please comment! Thanks you guys!*


“With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.” Everyone knew that books were to be burned. They knew this, and it didn’t bother them. In fact, they enjoyed it, especially the firemen.

Ray Bradbury’s classic novel, a twisted not so opposite government world, where
Books were not to be read, but destroyed. In this particular quote, the description of the fire hose as a “great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world” is great symbolism. Python’s are snakes, and in Greek mythology, and even in The Bible, snakes are a symbol of evil, and trickery. The snakes poison on the books, or the hose’s kerosene, “blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history” could be a symbol of death. Later in the book, books are described as white doves. Doves are a symbol of peace, innocence, and life. Since all books are banned, it’s like the government is banning life itself, their goal is to isolate all of civilization.

Snakes and doves would not be such good friends in the real world. Fire and books are basically allies in Fahrenheit 451. This irony says that in this book, the government wins, and civilization will never be the same.