The clothing characters wear in Fahrenheit 451 often defines them symbolically. Characters' clothing also represents the professions they practice in their society. For example, Montag wears a badge with an orange salamander and a phoenix disc on his chest (page 6), and his captain wears a phoenix on his hat (page 26). In mythology, the salamander was thought to be able to survive fire, so that's why the firefighters in the novel wear badges with salamanders. The phoenix is a mythological creature who rose reborn from ashes, so it can also survive fire. Another example of symbolic clothing is that of the medical workers who pump Mildred's stomach. They wear "reddish-brown coveralls" (page 15), representing their connection to people's blood and innards. Clarisse, on the other hand, does not wear clothing that represents a profession. She instead wears a white dress, which symbolizes her innocence.
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