Final answer:
Ray Bradbury uses birds to symbolize books, suggesting freedom, escape, wisdom, and knowledge. Birds as metaphors enhance the literary text through figurative language, offering depth and inviting various interpretations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ray Bradbury's use of birds as a symbol when referring to books in his literature may be attributed to multiple connotations associated with birds. Birds represent freedom and escape, as they have the ability to soar above the earth, reaching places that humans cannot, which is similar to how books can offer an escape to different realms and ideas beyond our physical limitations. Additionally, birds are a metaphor for wisdom and knowledge, having been used in literature historically to represent these concepts.
Birds are also often associated with carrying messages, which parallels how books carry information and stories. While birds symbolizing danger and rebellion can be considered, especially in dystopian settings where the act of reading may be seen as rebellious, the description of a book lifting 'almost obediently, like a white pigeon, in his hands, wings fluttering' suggests a more positive connection.
The use of such figurative language and literary devices enriches the text and allows Bradbury to convey complex ideas in a more nuanced and memorable way. The value of using symbols in a literary text is that it encourages multiple interpretations and deeper engagement with the text.