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‘A Wall of Fire Rising’ revolves around a three-person family made up of ‘Guy’ the

husband, ‘Lili’ the wife, and ‘Little Guy’, their seven-year-old son. In the short story ‘A Wall of
Fire Rising’ One might argue that the hot-air balloon is the most significant symbol in the story
because it displays Guy’s idea of independence, hope, and freedom.
The most significant role that the hot-air balloon took on was being the choice of
transportation that Guy uses to escape that dreadful life and hard labour on the plantation. The
hot-air balloon represented a “way out” that inspired Guy to release all the burden that been put
upon him. "freedom not only from specific circumstances but from those more general burdens
that tie us down" (Foster 127). The hot-air balloon represented a better life for his wife, child,
and the escape from poverty and constant emotional and physical pain. Lili uses the hot-air
balloon as an escape also for a better life for her son and husband but then quickly banishing that
idea when she hears her husband’s idea and realizing that he can get in trouble. "There is so
much sadness in the faces of my people. I have called on their gods, now I call on our gods. I call
on our young. I call on our old. I call on our mighty and the weak. I call on everyone and anyone
so that we shall all let out one piercing cry that we may either live freely or we should die"
(Foster 128). This is another example which shows the sadness and despair everyone is going
through and is being observed by Guy. Little Guy uses the hot-air balloon to look up to his dad
as he identifies him immediately after seeing the balloon. Little Guy proves that he is proud of
his father and of how much suffering he had to induce; although shortly after sadness over
whelms him and begins reciting his lines showing that his father has been finally pardoned from
his burden.
Furthermore, Foster convinced his readers that the hot-air balloon was a significant and
crucial symbol in the story because it delivered multiple messages from different characters, it
was the tool that Guy and his family looked upon as a symbol of freedom, and it acted as the
anchor that was released after Guys death to create a better life for Lili and Little Guy.
Works Cited

Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaning Guide to Reading
between the lines. New York: Harper, 2003.

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