Introduction
Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere is a captivating novel that examines the themes of motherhood and race, privilege as well as identity and the secrets in the idyllic urban town of Shaker Heights, Ohio. The book expertly weaves together the stories of two diverse families, including those of the Richardsons, the wealthy and well-organized family, along with Mia Warren, an artist with a lot of fun, and her child Pearl. Their interactions create a chain of events that can lead to intense personal conflicts, moral ambiguities and, eventually, ruin, both physical and emotional.
The novel opens with a shocking fire scene that shows flames consuming the Richardson family’s home. Someone has purposely set the house on fire, and all indications point towards Izzy Richardson, the rebellious youngest daughter. As the fire takes over their house, Elena Richardson, the matriarch, is stunned and contemplates how things went down.
To better understand the causes of this tragedy, it is necessary to go back to the year prior in which Mia, as well as Pearl Warren, arrived in Shaker Heights, unknowingly setting in motion a sequence of events that would forever alter Shaker Heights and the entire town.
Setting: Shaker Heights – A Town of Rules and Order
Shaker Heights is a well-organized, wealthy community which is proud of its organization and planning. Every street, colour of the house and even the lifestyle is meticulously controlled to provide an atmosphere of stability and control.
Elena Richardson, journalist and lifelong resident, is a fervent advocate of these tenets. She believes in the rule of law, order, and reliability as being the basis for a prosperous lifestyle. She and her husband, Bill Richardson, an attorney, have crafted a seemingly ideal family with four children:
- Lexie Richardson – The oldest daughter, intelligent and confident but a little entitled.
- Trip Richardson – The beloved and charming athlete.
- Moody Richardson – The thoughtful, sensitive son who is looking for more intimate connections.
- Izzy Richardson – The rebellious and youngest daughter of her family.
In this orderly world and into this well-ordered world, we meet Mia Warren and Pearl. Their lives are starkly different from those of the Richardsons.
Mia and Pearl: The Outsiders Who Disrupt the Balance
Mia Warren, along with her child, Pearl, are living their lives in a nomad lifestyle that involves frequent travel in the course of Mia pursues her love of photography. They are never in one location for too long, and Pearl is accustomed to adapting to changing locations.
But Pearl is mesmerized by the Richardsons and their organized life and luxurious lifestyle. She soon makes friends with Moody and is a fan of hers, even though she soon becomes romantically involved with Trip, which creates tension between the brothers.
Mia, On her own, remains cautious of Richardsons’ exclusive world. She is an artist who values freedom and individuality over success in material terms, which Elena Richardson cannot understand.
Elena, Always eager to control her life, offers Mia a task as their housekeeper, unaware that she will be a part of their lives. This decision sets the stage for a series of events that test Elena’s meticulously planned existence.
The Custody Battle That Divides the Town
A major conflict occurs when Mia’s colleague, Bebe Chow, who is a Chinese native, desperately tries to get her baby back, May Ling.
- Bebe was a single mother who had left her child due to poverty and not being able to afford milk or food.
- May Ling was adopted by the affluent McCulloughs, a white couple who changed her name to the girl Mirabelle and offered her a luxurious house.
The town is very divided about the matter:
- Elena Richardson supports the McCulloughs and believes that Mirabelle will enjoy an improved future with the McCulloughs.
- Mia Warren sides with Bebe and believes that children belong to their mother’s biological family regardless of circumstances.
This custody fight becomes the symbol of privilege, race, and the definition of motherhood.
Elena is becoming increasingly doubtful of Mia’s unwavering support for Bebe and starts digging into Mia’s previous history.
Mia’s Dark Past: A Life-Changing Secret
As Elena begins to investigate, she uncovers Mia’s dark past, which is more complicated than most people imagine.
- Mia was once an aspiring artist in New York, struggling financially.
- She was willing to serve as a surrogate to a wealthy couple, and once she had formed bonds of trust with the child she was carrying, she ran away with Pearl after deciding to take care of her daughter by herself instead of donating her to a charity.
Elena is astonished by Mia’s behaviour and views her as a shady and untrustworthy woman. She confronts Mia, but she refuses to apologize. Mia does not apologize for her decisions.
Determined to eliminate Mia as well as Pearl, Elena quietly informs the McCulloughs about the connection between Mia and Bebe and escalates the custody fight even more.
The Breaking Point: Izzy’s Rebellion and the Fire
In the meantime, Izzy Richardson, the black sheep of the family, is close to Mia.
- She is impressed by Mia’s spirit of adventure and honesty. She sees within her the mom she wished she had.
- As tensions in the Richardson family grow, Izzy grows resentful of her mother’s cold and controlling behaviour.
If Bebe loses custody battle in the custody case and May Ling is permanently given to the McCulloughs, Mia helps Bebe to escape along with her little girl to ensure that she is able to keep her child safe from the law system, which favours the wealthy.
Disenchanted by the influence of Mia over her daughter and angry that she can’t manage all things, Elena forces Mia and Pearl to move out of Shaker Heights.
Before she leaves, Mia leaves Izzy with a present–a collection of photos which reflect Izzy’s authentic, unfiltered individual. This becomes Izzy’s break point.
The next night, Izzy sets fire to the Richardson home, igniting “little fires everywhere” in every room. She then goes off and disappears into the night.
As the Richardsons look on as their house burns, Elena finally realizes that she’s lost her daughter.
Conclusion: The Aftermath and Lasting Impact
- Mia, along with Pearl, departs in search of the unknown, as Pearl is beginning to doubt what she believed she knew about her life.
- Bebe as well, May Ling disappear, maybe fleeing to China to start afresh.
- Izzy is gone, and she has left her family members in turmoil.
- Elena is forced to confront the truth–her addiction to control has cost her everything.
Despite the devastation, the story ends on a sweet note–some characters gain freedom from the uncertainty of life, while others bear any consequences for their choices.
Themes and Final Thoughts
Small Fires Everywhere examines:
- A perfect illusion: Shaker Heights represents an entire society that is obsessed with the rules of appearance and conformity; however, beneath it all, the dark side and its dysfunction thrive.
- Motherhood in various ways: Biological vs. adoptive mothers freedom in vs. control love. Obligation.
- Power dynamics and privilege: The book highlights the struggles between race and class, specifically in Mia’s custody battle and Mia’s past.
- The effect of decisions: Every character’s decision–whether large or small has irreversible consequences.
This compelling, character-driven novel shows us that regardless of how much we attempt to keep things under control, Chaos always finds a way to enter, like tiny fires that can be seen everywhere.