Symbolism Journal

I felt that there was a significant amount of symbolism in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. While it may seem unlikely that Bradbury did this specific example of symbolism on purpose, I think that the Giant Hound symbolizes technology and how it is becoming a crutch for some people. The firefighters used it as their crutch; when they did not want to do the dirty work themselves, they set the Hound out on the job. The make the Hound capture and kill anything they do not want around. Because of this, the firemen are becoming lazy. They also use it for pointless entertainment. When Montag rebels, the firemen send the Hound out to catch him. In my opinion, the firemen are beginning to rely too heavily on this piece of equipment, and it shows how their society has become even worse; instead of doing jobs themselves, they rely on the Hound. Since Fahrenheit takes place in a futuristic setting, I think this Giant Hound symbolizes the rise of technology and how it is beginning to get out of hand.