Fahrenheit 451

What does the sieve represent? What is the sand a symbol of? Describe how this memory relates to Montag’s current situation

As Montag rides the subway to Faber’s home, he has a memory: Once as a child he had sat upon a yellow dune by the sea in the middle of the blue and hot summer day, trying to fill a sieve with sand, because some cruel cousin had said, “Fill this sieve and you’ll get a dime!” And the faster he poured, the faster it sifted through with a hot whispering. His hands were tired, the sand was boiling, the sieve was empty. Seated there in the midst of July, without a sound, he felt the tears move down his cheeks.

Asked by
Last updated by jill d #170087
Answers 1
Add Yours
Best Answer

The sieve represents Montag's mind as he tries to hold onto knowledge. The sand is symbolic of the knowledge he attempts to retain. Montag's memory involves filling the sieve with sand while at the beach, in the same way he is trying to capture the knowledge set before him.

Source(s)

Fahrenheit 451