Fire Rising Symbolism

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In “A Wall of Fire Rising” by Edwidge Danticat, throughout the story is rife with symbolism. Everything from the characters’ mannerisms to their actions they take throughout the story, and even the focal main character’s name to be interpreted as a form of symbolism. Even down to the name of the story could be of symbolic gesture of things to come in the story. When looking at the focal main character’s name, the one we get the best perspective from Guy. His name to be taken as several different ways. First, the author intended it to be very vague leaving the reader guessing on everything is that being told a form of past tense. Therefore being a form of recollection on one of the other main character’s point of view. Even though, the story …show more content…
The first being hot air balloon. Being a symbol of financial wealth and even a form of superiority. Especially when Assad floats over the shantytowns showing what possibly could be if someone had a chance to escape abject poverty in an impoverished nation. However, to Guy, it is also a form of freedom, optimism, and literal escapism. As Guy, Lili and little Guy are walking through the field they approached the hot air balloon. Guy eventually let’s go of Lili and little Guy hands’. It is at this point, where Guy’s hopes and desires truly become revealed not just to the reader, but to Lili as well. It is even revealed that Lili feels as if she is losing Guy each time he would approach the hot air balloon. This can also be seen as Guy’s slowly losing touch with reality and beginning to step into a form of fantasy. It is even more evident that Guy pushes his hand through barbed wire just to see if he could reach the hot air balloon. Whenever a Guy could he would walk up to the hot air balloon and stare at it with the same “kind of stare of longing that most men display when they admire a pretty girls” (par. 56). Is at this point when it becomes obvious the apparent to the reader that Guy is truly lusting to escape his world and try to find a better one. Not just for himself but hopefully for his family too. The recurring theme of escapism is constantly played out throughout the story, and the sense of hopefully it will get better. In the final paragraph when the foreman asks “Do you want me to close the eyes?” Lily replies: “No, leave them open”… “My husband, he likes to look at the sky” (par. 255). It is meant to give the reader at the clear indication that Guy finally gets a chance to live out his true dream, finally escape his

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