Myth of Icarus

F451 Quotes pp. 110-130

In Part Three, Beatty explains “Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damn wings, he wonders why. Didn’t I hint enough when I sent the Hound around your place?” (p.113)

Beatty refers to the myth of Icarus, told in Ovid’s first-century poem The Metamorphoses.

Myth of Icarus

Myth of Icarus by Ovid

Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned inside a massive labrynth in Crete. The father made them each a pair of wings, and with these they were able to escape. Daedalus warned his son, “Don’t fly too high or the sun will melt the wax on your wings and you will fall. Follow me closely. Do not set your own course.” But Icarus became soexhilarated by his ability to fly, he forgot the warning and followed his own course instead. He flew too high, the wax melted, and Icarus fell down into the sea and drowned.

Why does Bradbury compare Montag to Icarus?

How does this shed light on Montag’s development

As Montag escapes the city and enters the silences of the natural world, he looks forward to the time “needed to think all the things that must be thought” (p.143).

He discovers “He was not empty. There was more than enough here to fill him” (p.144).

How has the silence and emptiness of nature proved fulfilling compared to his former life?

How have books led to these realizations?

Quote One

“Well now you did it…Didn’t I hint enough when I sent the Hound around your place “ (113).

Quote Two

“What a dreadful surprise…for everyone nowadays knows, absolutely is certain, that nothing will ever happen to me. Others die, I go on” (115).

Quote Three

“What is there about fire that’s so lovely…Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences. A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it. Now Montag, you’re a burden” (115).

Quote Four

“Montag did not hear, he was far away, he was running with his mind, he was gone, leaving this dead soot-covered body to sway in front of another raving fool” (118).

Quote Five

“Beatty wanted to die. How strange to want to die so much that you let a man walk around armed and then instead of shutting up and staying alive, you go on yelling at people and making fun of them until you get them mad, and then…” (122)

Quote Six

“Faber’s would be the place where he might refuel his fast-draining belief in his own ability to survive. He just wanted to know that there was a man like Faber in the world” (125).