Intertextuality

Names of works

In Fahrenheit 451, there is a veritable abundance of intertextuality by mentioning authors and titles of works or in the form of quotations from literary works that attest to the vast literary knowledge of author Ray Bradbury.

For example, Beatty tells Guy that Shakespeare's Hamlet now exists only as a summary, easily readable by anyone (Part 1, 78%). He also explains why books are classified as troublemakers: " ‘Colored people don't like Little Black Sambo. (...) White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin’." (Part 1, 86%).

Little Black Sambo, a children's book by Helen Bannerman of Scotland, plays on stereotypes about people with dark skin. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher-Stowe is a critique of slavery, of which the black U.S. population was a victim.

To Faber's great delight, Guy saved "the Old and New Testament" later in the novel (Part 2, 13%).

In order for Guy to memorize "The Book of Job", Faber reads it to him via radio capsule (Part 2, 56%). Job is the architype of the person who faithfully serves God despite all suffering. This behavior fits Montag, who, despite all the difficulties, will devote his life to books. Faber asks Guy in the conversation, " ‘Do you know the legend of Hercules and Antaeus? ‘" (Part 2, 31%), thus bringing into discussion an important work of Greek mythology.

Name of authors

Many names of writers are mentioned in the narrative, which reveals the author's great literary knowledge.

For example, Guy begins by listing what he does on a daily basis: " ‘Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner’ " (Part 1, 8%). Guy personalizes the books he burns: It is part of the fireman's work routine to destroy works by American writer Edna St. Vincent Millay, Walt Whitman, one of the most important authors in the United States in the late 19th century, and William Faulkner, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.

Another time, Guy tells his wife after work, " ‘We burned copies of Dante and Swift and Marcus Aurelius’ " (Part 1, 71%). Dante Alighieri  was one of the most famous Italian writers of the 14th century, Jonathan Swift was an Irishman who wrote Gulliver's Travels in 1726, and Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180) was a Roman emperor and philosopher.

Guy has saved the Bible, among other things. He now has to deliver a book to h...