Shamsie alludes to the ancient greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus in the Isma section of Home Fire. Although its presence seems a bit random in the moment, the reference holds clues to some of the major themes and tragic elements of Home Fire.
There are many different aspects of the Icarus and Daedalus story that have parallels to the themes of the novel. One would be Icarus's pride and belief that he can do anything, which reminded me of Aneeka's belief in her ability to use Eamonn to help bring Parvaiz home. Another theme is that of sacrifice. Daedalus sacrifices incredible effort to create the wings, and all that effort seems to go to waste when Icarus flies to close to the sun and melts the wax. In the same way, all the effort that Eamonn and Aneeka make to be together as well as the effort that Parvaiz makes to return to Britain seem to be a waste in their ultimate deaths.
Speaking of death, there is an underlying inevitability in the myth that mirrors the inevitability of the book. Both appear intertwined with fate, as if destined to be tragedies despite the main characters' best efforts. The disastrous inevitability is at its height when Icarus attempts to be as great as his uncle Daedalus and flies upward to prove his own glory. Perhaps Shamsie is saying that both Parvaiz and Eamonn are like Icarus, aiming to live up to the legacy of their fathers. Yet like the foolish nephew, both Parvaiz and Eamonn fail to achieve that glory and it results in their deaths.
A final significant piece of the Icarus and Daedalus myth is the fact that their goal is to reach freedom in the sky. Aneeka and Parvaiz each express the same sentiment at a point in Home Fire where they are willing to do anything to get on a plane. Parvaiz's situation is particularly relevant because he is also looking for freedom. The subtle nod to the sky also plays on the sky motif that shows up frequently throughout the text.
For these reasons, I believe that Shamsie intentionally chose the Icarus and Daedalus allusion to reinforce some of the themes and tragic elements of Home Fire.
Heather, this was so interesting to read. I, too, thought that the Icarus reference was a little out of place and it confused me. However, you've made some really cool connections here that I didn't pick up on. The theme of sacrifice was so important in Home Fire, especially with the ending, and I didn't realize how deeply this myth supported it. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteHey Heather! I never thought to pair Daedalus and Icarus' story along with Aneeka and Eamonn, but after reading your post, I can see how they are related. I would have to agree with you that everything seems to have a sense of inevitability of the characters already having this "destined" fate. As you have said, no matter how hard they try to change their fate, their story still ends in tragedy.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather, I never really thought of the Icarus and Deadalus story that way. I always thought of it as related to Isma growing Aneeka up or even Parvaiz, but after reading what you wrote I think that what you said also fits the Icarus story pretty well. I never thought of the inevitability portion of the mythology either.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather! I think it's super interesting how you show the relationship between the pursuit of glory and tragedy. Most of the characters in "Home Fire" are young and optimistic, so witnessing their downfall is absolutely heartbreaking. I think the author is trying to show us the beauty and danger of our passions. Is death really the ending? Was it more important for them to be remembered as lovers forever?
ReplyDeleteIn many ways, Eamonn's fate is the result of his father's decision in relation to Aneeka, so I suppose one question is who bears the blame for his end--is it Eamonn, who flew too high like Icarus? or is it Karamat, who encouraged him to fly, like Daedalus?
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