Fire

Throughout the narrative, fire represents passion, power, and deep feeling. On several occasions it does so in a positive way, as when Kiran refers to his sense of identity, his creativity, and his commitment to expressing them both in terms related to fire and flame. On other occasions, however, symbolic references to fire are more negative, associated with Kiran's deep anger at those at school who bully or repress him, or with his deep pain and shame during his difficult conversation with his father.

Color

In general, color for Kiran represents intensities of feeling and beauty. In particular, bright color represents and triggers feelings of deep joy in him. Even more particularly, he feels an intense, empowering connection to the color blue.

Blue

For Kiran, and therefore the novel, the color blue represents beauty and godly power. Its initial manifestation comes early in the narrative, when...