Fire and firelight embody the multifaceted nature of pursuing one’s dreams. Jason Reynolds weaves these images throughout the novel. Both dreams and fire have a dual essence; they are capable of danger, yet illuminate the darkness.

The symbol of fire emerges early as Reynolds talks about burning expert books; they serve no purpose except for the “firelight” they could offer along the “LONG AND OFTEN DARK ROAD” of life (25). Burning signifies the impracticality of conventional expertise, while the image of the road emphasizes life’s intricate and daunting journey, replete with isolation and bewilderment. Reynolds tells readers to use his own book “for firelight,” in this case as a means to find truth, comfort and guidance. This echoes his recurring depiction of a dream as a “tiny ember / always glow[ing] / beneath the brush” (58); the book may act as fuel, nurturing this ember into a sustaining fire.

Reynolds employs fire imagery to illustrate the perils of chasing dreams. He describes individuals consumed by their aspirations as “people who / have burned” from head to toe (56). He contrasts this burning with firelight. While burning suggests chaos, firelight implies that, in the process of pursuing dreams, valuable insights and enlightenment emerge.