Reflection (Word Count: 275)

     For the past couple of days, we have looked at certain parts of the book Fahrenheit 451.  We learned how to close read a text in many different ways.  Some ways to close read a text are to look at the book's cultural and historical background, its author and genre, word choice, figurative language, and symbolism.  In my opinion, the most helpful way was through symbolism.  We process symbols as those that we know are obviously connected in any way.  We can see the association, even if it isn't actually there.  For instance, we talked in class about how when we think of a rose, we link it to love. There is disparity, or no real connection, but we supply this association.
     Symbolism is very similar to foiling, which is when you have two characters that share similarities, but the differences that diverge them emphasize other qualities in them.  In a similar but more shortened way, a symbol represents something larger.  As discussed in class, symbols can come from culture or religion, personal or familiar things, and well as those that are found in a text.  We focused mainly on the symbols that are brought up in texts such as those Ray Bradbury creates in his book, Fahrenheit 451.  Symbols in text are usually described figuratively or directly.  When an author uses a figurative symbol, he/she are putting the symbol and object right by each other.  It is clearly stated.  On the other hand, when an author uses a direct symbol, the symbol is not right next the object, nor is it clearly stated.  In this case, we would have to infer what symbolizes what.