Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of stalking, mental health conditions, substance misuse, sexual assault, arson, and imprisonment, as well as references to incest.

In Endless Love, fire symbolizes The Destructive Nature of Love and David’s obsession with Jade. The novel opens with a literal fire that David sets at the Butterfield home, an act driven by his passion and desperation to rekindle his relationship with Jade. However, this fire quickly spirals out of control, both physically and metaphorically, signaling the start of David’s descent and the unraveling of his life. The fire represents the uncontrollable and consuming nature of David’s love—a love that, like the flames he ignites, cannot be contained and ultimately leads to destruction.

The fire symbolism recurs when Ann recalls David’s lighting a fire in the Butterfield fireplace on the night he first makes love to Jade. This moment symbolizes the ignition of their all-consuming passion, with the flames representing their fervent desire. Hugh’s intense reaction to David’s actions—asserting that lighting the fire is his prerogative—reveals deeper implications. Hugh’s insistence on controlling the fire mirrors his attempt to control Jade’s sexuality, reflecting his possessiveness and patriarchal dominance. As the story unfolds, fire continues to symbolize the intense, often destructive nature of David and Jade’s relationship.