Cold Weather in Home Fire

     Although there are many symbols that I identified in Home Fire, one recurring symbol would be the cold weather, and more specifically the appearance of snow. Throughout the novel, snow, ice, and the cold weather specifically appear when the plot gets tense or conflict arises. We see this many times in each section, and I found it very interesting how I was able to locate the situations that involved cold weather. For example, one of the first instances of snow is introduced in Isma’s section, and it states,” One morning he was late to the cafe. She thought it was because of the weather-winter had returned. Snow slashed upon the window panes, the sky was white, cars alerted cops that they’d overstayed their two-hour parking limit by the depth of snow on their roofs”(Shamsie 34). As soon as the snow began to show and the cold weather entered, things began to change. First, Karamat Lone became appointed as the new Home Secretary which changed the relationship dynamic between Isma and Eamonn. A few pages later, the text states,” The wind had dropped, and the snow drifted down in large flakes that retained their shape for a moment on her sleeve before melting into the fabric”(Shamsie 38). This appearance of snow was crucial for the reader to understand that when the weather gets colder, relationships get more tense. The recurrence of the cold weather was a symbol I closely followed throughout the novel, and it allowed me to deeply understand the shifts and important changes between characters. Without the appearance of the cold weather, the changes in relationships would be harder to navigate. I appreciated Shamsie’s use of weather to highlight changes in relationships, and I also appreciated how she used the seasons as a symbol in the novel as well.