Fahrenheit 451 Quotes Analysis

In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, an old woman commits the act of self-immolation, or the “deliberate sacrifice of oneself by fire.” Before burning herself to death, she says a quote said by Hugh Latimer too Nicholas Ridley right before they were burned to death in favor of their society because of their controversial religious beliefs: “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” By saying this quote, she is really saying to be strong like the stereotypical ‘man of the house’ would be thought of. However, she is also hinting to something other than this literal meaning of the quote, just as Latimer was when he first said it back in October 16th

When the author later reveals that Montag had been stashing many books in the hope to learn something from them, this shows that Montag believes that society is wrong, or maybe hiding something from their past, and that books can be beneficial to them. Again, like the old woman, Ridley, and Latimer, he was not hurting anyone but was still frowned upon because he had, or started to have, different beliefs that are uncommon from the society he lived in.

In the book Fahrenheit 451, the quote said by the old woman before she committed self-immolation has many different meanings that will, hopefully, carry out in the everyday lives of societies everywhere from the people back in October 16th of 1555 and into the far future. Latimer and Ridley made history with their long fight for their beliefs that will indirectly carry out their ideals in the minds of people like Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh, Reverend Martin Luther King, and author Ray