What is the importance of fire in the novel, The Weight of Ink?

Fire represents a variety of elements in the novel and takes on different meanings in each narrative. In reference to Spinoza, it is associated with devilishness and a burning in his spirit, representing heresy and his damned soul. For Ester, the burning of candles at night represents her pursuit of knowledge, and the curiosity contained within her is compared to a flame. Aaron compares his temper to fire, with the ability to turn his career to ash. The Great Fire of London represents the destruction of the city Ester has known, symbolic of her overcoming the horrors of her past and the beginning of her new life in Richmond. Fire also represents atonement to Ester, as she believes burning her writings is punishment for betraying the rabbi.