Fire Symbol in My Sister’s Keeper

Fire in My Sister’s Keeper reflects the lack of control the Fitzgeralds have over their life, as well as their attempts to regain said control. Fire, much like Kate’s cancer, is a dangerous force that can spread quickly with no regard for people’s lives. However, even though fire is potentially lethal, it is in many ways less frightening than cancer: there is a straightforward way to eliminate it, and even if it spreads, it will eventually burn itself out. Kate’s leukemia, on the other hand, continues to return over and over again even after the difficult process of destroying it. With this in mind, it makes sense that Brian throws himself into his firefighting, as it allows him to face a problem with an easy—if difficult—solution. Jesse, on the other hand, turns to arson. While his crimes may initially appear to be the polar opposite of Brian’s actions, the fires he sets are his own attempt to enact control over the chaos in his and his family’s lives. However, in both cases, Brian and Jesse are only able to come to terms with the tragedy in their lives when they turn away from fire and accept their inability to save Kate. In this way, fire illustrates the futility of trying to eliminate one’s pain rather than accepting it.

Fire Quotes in My Sister’s Keeper

The My Sister’s Keeper quotes below all refer to the symbol of Fire. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

I’m a coward. There are times when my shift is over that I’ll stay and roll hose, or put on a fresh pot of coffee for the crew coming in, instead of heading straight to my house. I have often wondered why I get more rest in a place where, for the most part, I’m roused out of bed two or three times a night. I think because in a firehouse, I don’t have to worry about emergencies happening—they’re supposed to. The minute I walk through the door at home, I’m worrying about what might come next.

Related Characters: Brian Fitzgerald (speaker)

Related Symbols: Fire

Page Number and Citation: 142

Explanation and Analysis:

Fire Symbol Timeline in My Sister’s Keeper

The timeline below shows where the symbol Fire appears in My Sister’s Keeper. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Anna recounts when Brian told her that a fire will burn itself out without oxygen. She muses that this might be what she’s doing,... (full context)

...Sara bathes the children, Brian tells her about an insurance case involving a man who “burned” his cigars by smoking them. Jesse presses hard on Kate’s bruise, causing her to scream... (full context)

...next to him. Nobody is inside the building except for the body that started the fire, which was disposed of after an anatomy class. Brian contemplates whether to bring a hose... (full context)

...since he’s the only one in a successful marriage. Brian compares a woman to a fire: they’re beautiful and can bring you light and warmth when contained, but they require an... (full context)

...be involved. Anna, who can smell smoke on him and knows he’s come from a fire for this, is ashamed. She tells him that she can’t and says she’s invisible. Sara... (full context)

...Merit cigarette, then, when it’s almost done, tosses it into the dust to start a fire. He runs quickly out of the building, knowing that any evidence he’s left behind will... (full context)

...to hang up. Anna envisions him putting on his uniform and rushing out to the fire engine. She thinks about how “every time he goes to work, he has to put... (full context)

...middle of the night. He and his coworkers arrive at a house completely engulfed in fire. A woman runs over to him in tears, explaining in Spanish that her three-year-old daughter... (full context)

...supposed to be a place for emergencies, unlike his home. The morning after the house fire, he’s making breakfast when Julia comes to speak with him. She introduces herself and helps... (full context)

Back at the burning house, Brian enters the house while the other firefighters hose it. He follows the mother’s directions to the girl’s room, but he doesn’t find... (full context)

On another day, Brian is telling Sara about a particularly terrible fire he fought while she reads an advice column, in which a woman complains about her... (full context)

Brian muses about how fire and hope are connected. In Greek mythology, Epimetheus made the animals and Prometheus made the... (full context)

...into the station holding a small dog. Brian recognizes her as Mrs. Zegna, whose house burned down a few days ago. She explains that her Ursula Halloween costume is the only... (full context)

...looks at Julia and continues with an example of a homeless woman who started a fire and left the building without calling 911, causing six firefighters to die. The court didn’t... (full context)

...arson case at an elementary school, which was thankfully empty at the time of the fire. The fire was started by dousing couch cushions and paper in gasoline, and a window... (full context)

My Sister’s Keeper

Jodi Picoult

Fire Symbol Analysis

Fire Quotes in My Sister’s Keeper

Fire Symbol Timeline in My Sister’s Keeper