The author seemed to characterize the dark side of the novel from the very start. Firemen and everything associated with them are characterized to be on the darker side of the spectrum. Just by the adjectives he used alone Ray Bradbury shows the way he wants the readers to feel about the firemen and the way they burn things. By using certain words he makes you feel everything a little bit more deeply. For example, in the very first sentence it describes how the firefighter likes to see things blackened and changed. Although at the time this description seems to bring pleasure to the narrator, it does not leave a very pleasant feeling with the reader. When most people think of things being blackened they think of unpleasant things and destruction, and most people do not find destruction to be a very good thing, unlike the firemen in the book.
The appearance of the firemen also depicts a kind of darkness. Their helmets are described as beetle-colored. Most people are not overly fond of beetles and when they see them it inspires all kinds of unpleasant emotions, whether it be fear or disgust or simply melancholy. They also are supposed to smell of kerosene which is an unpleasant smell to most and does not inspire happy feelings. Although the firemen seem to think of it almost as sweet as a type of perfume, those around them seem to find it repulsive and disgusting. Clarisse says she could feel his presence with her eyes closed, but she does not necessarily say it in a positive way. This comment suggests to the reader that she can almost sense his destruction and his darkness without even having to see the man himself. Clarisse also mentions that most people are afraid of firemen. This seems to suggest that they have some sort of air about them that pushes people away. Just in the first few pages of the novel, Ray Bradbury uses a lot of different senses to show you that the firemen are meant to represent darkkness.
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