Explain the various roles of fire in the novel

Fire symbolizes a purifier. It cleans the world of books that would add meaning to people's lives; the state does not want this. To Beatty, fire is a purifying force. It incinerates literature that can change or "subvert" society, "Better yet, into the incinerator... Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean." Fire is the ultimate tool to keep the status-quo of this dystopian society. It burns away change.