Fire on the Mountain

by

Anita Desai

Fire on the Mountain Symbols

Animals

The animals that roam the countryside around Carignano represent both freedom and chaos. On the one hand, they’re unencumbered by human emotions or connections—at least those that remain wild, like the cuckoos at the burned

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Burned Cottage

The burned cottage that lies a little way up the mountain from Carignano represents Raka. It went through the crucible of a wildfire, just as illness and the trauma of witnessing her father abuse…

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Ravine

The ravine that lies below Carignano, cluttered with detritus, symbolizes the messiness and drama of life. It is a place populated by ghosts and ghouls. It is also a dangerous place, full of crumbling land…

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