Flamer

Flames are the most prominent symbol throughout the text and represent different things depending on the context. In some scenes, fire symbolizes Aiden’s desire for Elias and his growing realization that he is gay. During the opening daydream, the flames burn warmly between them; Aiden and Elias are tinted by the fire’s warm glow as their hands come together, reflecting how, at this point, the feelings are new and pleasant, but not overwhelming. When Aiden kisses Elias, after their dreamlike night of bonding under the stars and listening to music, the flame burns hot inside of Aiden, and both he and Elias are blanketed in red. Aiden is overwhelmed and overcome by his feelings and does something he would normally be too terrified to attempt. At this point, the fire burns hotter and stronger; this increased intensity reflects how much Aiden’s feelings and awareness have grown over the course of the novel.

In other scenes, fire symbolizes the persecution Aiden faces for being gay. After being subjected to a particularly brutal and hateful experience with a bully at camp, Aiden reflects on the entomology of the word “faggot” (127). He explains that it refers to a bundle of sticks and it’s use as a slur comes from the fact that “in medieval times, homosexuals were burned at the stake. As if they were human firewood” (127). He worries that he will burn in hell for being gay.

After his misunderstanding with Elias, he dreams about being hunted down, tied to a football goal post, and being burned alive by a manic-looking priest. Later, when he feels like he doesn’t want to live anymore, he envisions himself having a Viking-style funeral in which his body is set on fire by a flaming arrow.

These examples establish a pattern in which fire represents passion, but also the hate and persecution Aiden constantly feels for simply being the person he is.

The title of the book, Flamer, is itself a slur that has been reclaimed by some members of the LGBTQ community who want to wear their identities with pride; the final symbolic meaning of fire in the text embodies this idea. During the novel’s final sequence, Aiden is confronted by a flame-clad archer that reveals itself as his soul and the fire of life within him. The archer convinces Aiden that he is enough, and that life is worth fighting for. After they merge, the final image is of Aiden, hair replaced by flames, emerging as a phoenix. This represents Aiden finally learning to accept and embrace who he is—regardless of what other people think. Additionally, fire represents his soul and his strength to keep fighting for life. In this way, Mike Curato brings together multiple symbolic meanings: Fire is Aiden’s desire; it is the persecution he faces for being gay; and both of these things—and much more—make him the person that he is and give him the strength to keep fighting.