Figurative Language In Fahrenheit 451

The books Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, and The Last Book in The Universe, written by Rodman Philbrick, are similar in plot and theme. Both books highlight the negative effect of technology in futuristic dystopian worlds. The ideas of censorship play a big role in the two stories. While the ideas of both books may be similar, the way they have been written are very differently. Fahrenheit 451 has a unique style, full of symbolism, figurative language, and rich vocabulary which is Bradbury’s trademark. On the other hand, The Last Book in The Universe has a more informal style, that would be a target novel for young readers. Symbols still plays a big part in Philbrick’s book, but it is more overt. Philbrick’s use of dialogue is less

complicated and more to the point. Symbolism, writing style, and theme are very import in the two books.
In Bradbury’s future dystopian society, the masses are plugged into the mind numbing “ polar walls”; a major form of entertainment. The vastness of ignorance has moved as far as the government, to a point that reading has been banned and all books are burned. The books are burned at night because the spectacle of fire burning in the dark stokes fear into the minds of individuals and reminds them of the ever lumming presence of power and control. Not only does fire symbolize fear and control, it is also a show of power to those that disobey the rules and awarded/ sense of being for those that follow them. This quote shows that “ Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean." (page ) They burn anything that threatens their ingoranctic live style. Seeing lawbreakers house burned is right in the minds of the people who are loyal to the rules, hence the quote “fire is bright and fire is clean.” Fire is seen as a non corrupt way to punish the lawbreakers, in the eyes of the law abiding citizens.
In Fahrenheit 451 the lack of books are the cause of an ignorant society. In contrast, The Last Book in the Universe it is not a lack of literature but an abundance of probes, a needle like device that is injected into the head. The probe then plays in the individual’s head but it is so realistic the person feels as if they are part of the events taking place. This is how Spaz explained it “ There are kinds of mind probes- trendies , shooters, sexbos, whatever you want experience.” ( page 1 ) This technology is viewed as more stimulating than books, so there is no longer a desire to read . Books are not illegal but there is no motivation to read. This causes the latch leaders to spend more time probing then taking care of and leading their people. Because of this their world has fallen into chaos. The probes represent ignorance and lack of self provoked thought. Both books deal with ignorance vs knowledge and its effects on society. They differ in the fact that in Fahrenheit 451, the symbolism of fire is not what causes ignorance but what maintains it, where as in The Last Book in the Universe, probes are the direct cause of ignorance .
Bradbury is known for his uniquely dense style of writing.

He is easy to discern from other authors because of his use of metaphors, similes and other types of figurative language. This is illustrated in the quote from Fahrenheit 451, “With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world. . .” ( p. 1 ). Bradbury compares the way the fire hose spews out water to the way a snake would spit out poison. Bradbury effectively uses figurative language to paint a vivid picture in the reader's mind. Figurative language is not the only literary device he uses. Bradbury also finds a way to weave complicated yet eloquent vocabulary into his text. This makes his books challenging for younger reads, but on the flip side for those that are able to stay with it; it becomes much more interesting. Bradbury also uses point of view to help sculpt his writing. Fahrenheit 451 is written in third person limited omniscient, this enables the reader to know all the thoughts, actions, and feelings of all the characters which helps to explain the whole

story.
In contrast, the writing style Philbrick uses to write The Last Book of the Universe is much more relaxed and simple.

The vocabulary is at a lower level and there is far less figurative language. The Last Book of the Universe is written is first person this makes for an easier read, because it is much easier to follow. All of these aspects can be see here, “My cube is small and dingy, with a chunk of foam on the floor, not a real bed, but it’s way better than not having a place to sleep or just hang” ( page ). As shown, the vocabulary never gets much harder than “dingy” and there is no figurative language. Not only is this passage written in first-person, but it is a very relaxed first person, it gives of the feel of a friendly conversation. All of these factors make this a good target novel for younger readers. Despite the differences in writing style both books are equally engaging and would be a good pick for any age

group.
In The Last Book in the Universe “ignorance is bliss” is a huge theme. Even though the vast majority of people live in horrible conditions, many of them find a false feeling of happiness by probing. This leads to self-censorship, mainly of knowledge. For example “Because nobody around here reads anymore. Why bother, when you can just probe it? Put all the images and excitement right inside your brain and let it rip.” ( page 1). This shows how the lack of knowledge lead to a chaotic society yet the people are able to flee from it by simply not handling the problem at hand. So many of the latch leaders; like Mango the Magnificent, are ignoring life and disappearing into the false happiness of the probes.

Both books deal with censorship, ignorance vs. knowledge, and concept that ignorance is bliss. In Fahrenheit 451 these themes are more event. It is clear that censorship plays a key part in the maintenance of their society. The burning of books, which is censorship of knowledge, leads to ignorance. Because the people do not have access to knowledge they spend their lives in the dark. Civilians have a false sense of happiness due to the instant gratification and false sense of family that comes along with the parlor walls. The parlor walls act like a family give an idea of community and belonging , the parlor walls are constantly on providing entertainment on an never ending bisa. This is one of the reasons Clarisse is pivotal in the changes Montag insurers throughout the novel. She shatters Montag's false sense of happiness, “ Are you happy?” (page 4). By asking this and other simple questions she forces Montag to take a look in the mirror and evaluate his way of life.
Fahrenheit 451 and The Last Book in the Universe use different writing style, characterization tactics and of some of the same symbols . Both deal with the dangers of technology and the horrible consequence they have on the future dystopian worlds. There endings are similar with the hope for bright future but no clear relation. Due to the similarity in theme and symbols it is clear that the works of Ray Bradbury had and consequential influence on Rodman Philbrick's, The Last Book in the Universe.