Nombres

The title of the section, 'The Hearth and the Salamander' alludes to images of fire, the tool of destruction that censors knowledge and ideas. The hearth is where the fire is built and burns strongest. In contrast, the salamander is a lizard said to survive in flames, and thus alludes to fire's inability to crush free thought. Montag, personifies the salamander, surrounded in flames, yet fighting against censorship. Fire represents purification as it is used to rid society of that which is undesirable.

In 'The Sieve and the Sand', we witness Montag's continued awareness of transition. The title of this section provides a metaphor for Montag's frustration at not being able to immediately grasp what is true in the world. Through Montag's own recollection on the train, the reader sees Montag as a young boy, desperately trying to fill a sieve with sand, an impossible task. Likewise, Montag is frustrated to find himself a sieve of sorts, unable to retain what he reads from the Bible, however feverishly he tries. On a larger scale, it becomes apparent that it is not only the words of the Bible, but truth in general that Montag finds difficult to attain. Thus, he is frustrated that he cannot fill himself or feel whole. In contrast, Millie and others like her are sieves as well, unable and unwilling to grasp information even when it is made readily available to them.

The title of the third section, "Burning Bright", references the many allusions to fire and burning in the text. First, Montag burns his home and his possessions. Ironically, Montag does not grieve the loss of his home or possessions. In contrast, he feels unburdened by releasing himself from the intrusive television walls that plagued his life. Thus, Montag's flamethrower dispenses powers of destruction and of cleansing. Before ordering him to burn down his own house, Beatty baits Montag, comparing him as Icarus and thus alluding that Montag, by harboring books, has flown too close to the sun and shall now fall to his death. With this analogy, Beatty argues that those who defy the law of the land will meet their end. Ironically, Beatty is actually the man that dies, while Montag escapes and begins a new life. When Montag kills Beatty with the flamethrower, Bradbury compares him to a charred wax doll, a description reminiscent of an earlier reference to Millie as a wax doll melting under its own heat. Later on, Montag encounters a camp fire when he meets Granger and the other intellectuals. This fire is welcoming, different from the fire Montag has always known, and shows him that fire can be a source of warmth and sustenance rather than a source of death and destruction. Finally, Montag witnesses the fire and destruction the atomic bombs bring to the city. Throughout this section, many things are "burning bright", including Montag's idealism and adherence to promoting truth and knowledge.