Fire

Fire is a critical symbol in the novel, as reflected in the title A Torch Against the Night. At different points, fire symbolizes bravery, power, and destruction.

Tahir plays on the multiplying aspect of flame to create metaphors about fire as fuel for power. Elias tells Tas that he refuses to fear the Warden because “fear gives him power,” like “feeding oil to a lamp” (297). Accordingly, fear makes the Warden’s horrific authority to inflict violence “burn brighter” (297), contributing to his power. Similarly, Laia feels like her own power is fueled by Elias. She reflects on the person that she feels like in his presence, which is: “Braver. Stronger. Flawed, certainly, but unafraid...That version of myself that burned brightest when Elias Veturius was near” (310). Thus fire symbolizes both the power of the Empire and the countervailing power of the rebels. This is made clear by...