Fireborne

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-13

Chapters 14-19

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Dragons

Dragons throughout the novel symbolize the different uses of uncheckable power. In one of his first sessions with Lee and his peers, Atreus asks, “How could such unbridled power not ultimately lead to corruption?” (104). Atreus follows this up by saying that worth and power must correspond to each other and that one only deserves the mantle of power if one can “be more reasonable and more virtuous than what came before” (105). In the age of the Triarchy, dragons became weapons of mass destruction and fear due to the unchecked power of dragonborns. Due to this, power was often abused by the ruling elite.

In the new regime, power is not inherited by dragonborn any longer but given to anyone from any class who tests well and is chosen by a dragon based on their own merit. Annie describes this change in her morale speech to Holbin, describing “a government where dragons abide by laws rather than create them” (170). Through this more inclusive selection process, Atreus had hoped to find more worthy riders who would not inspire the same fear or take advantage of the unbridled power of their dragons. However, the lingering effect of such uncheckable power is present in the way citizens react to the morale visits and the collections of resources Lee, Annie, and their peers do throughout the novel. It seems as though the use of dragons at all is too much of a risk for those who’ve been harmed by them in the past to accept, no matter the rider.

Metals Test

The metals test symbolizes the issues persisting in the current regime. Despite the widely held belief that the metals test offers more citizens a chance to rise above their current station and succeed as they hadn’t been able to before, it also is used as another form of favoritism and oppression. This system inherently favors those who were already privileged under the old order due to the resources they have available to them. Therefore, those from more affluent backgrounds are better positioned to excel. This perpetuates a cycle of advantage that echoes the class disparities of the previous regime.

The dilemma of food rations further exposes the flaws in this supposedly equitable system. The decision to allocate resources based on the metals test results reveals a stark prioritization of the elite, with Class Golds receiving the most substantial rations while the Irons, the lowest class, receive less. When Lee and Annie question why Class Golds receive full rations despite having the least physically draining work: “The physician glances at Atreus, and in the second that he does, [Lee] notice[s] the gold wristband glinting on his arm. Around the room, others are shifting uncomfortably, glancing at each other. [They’re] all Gold here, except for Holmes” (328). This policy and behavior by those in power starkly contrasts with the ideals of equality and fairness that the Revolution supposedly champions.

Lee’s rounds to inspect the working conditions of Irons illustrate, too, the issues of the current regime. His society does not have enough faith in itself to not mistreat lower-class Irons and thus must routinely check in with their workplaces to ensure they are not being mistreated or taken advantage of. Despite the regime praising itself for valuing fairness and reform, the working conditions for Irons tend to be harsh and exploitative. The metals test, in these ways, reveals fundamental flaws in the new regime’s approach to creating a just society.

The Aurelian Cycle

The Aurelian Cycle symbolizes the long history of the dragonlords and the legacy Lee has been stripped of. Each time this book is mentioned, it brings Lee either a painful reminder of a past and legacy he lost, or it brings him comfort as the only remaining connection he has to that past and legacy. The passage from The Aurelian Cycle, “Alas, flee, dragonborn, you and your family. Flee from the flames. The enemy has your walls, the City falls in ruin from its height” (255), mirrors what occurred with Lee’s family. Their Palace was taken by the enemy and his family cut down while he was able to escape the flames. Though Palace Day is widely celebrated as the Revolution’s victory, when this line is read in Tyndale’s class, “the tragedy of the line washes over [Annie], beautiful and heartbreaking” (255). The Aurelian Cycle in this instance tells the story of the downfall of the pillars of Lee’s former life.

Well into the novel, Tyndale reveals to his class that The Aurelian Cycle has been banned by the Censorship Committee. Considering how much comfort Lee has repeatedly found in the volume and its poems, this feels like another targeted attack at him, erasing some of the last scraps of his legacy. Rather than remaining restricted to higher classes, it is decided the work must be purged entirely because it “promotes values that are contrary to the national interest” (256). Regardless of the ban on the book, Lee keeps his own copy, which Annie brings to his cell after he turns himself in for consorting with New Pythos. When he takes the book from her, he closes his eyes like “he’s receiving a benediction” (370). At this point in the novel, Lee has made a clear stand on his beliefs but has not proven it in a high-risk situation. The comfort he finds in this book lends a tiny sliver of doubt to his loyalty to Callipolis.