Everything you need to understand or teach Philadelphia Fire by John Edgar Wideman.
Given the basis of the novel, it is not surprising that its major themes revolve around despair. The overriding theme is that we are destroying ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As evidence, the book offers descriptions of the garbage we produce, in our homes and on our streets. We see instances of cyclical violence, as when Simba survives the bombing but goes on to lead a gang of violent youngsters. The city and...