Things You Save in a Fire

The relationship between courage and forgiveness is arguably the central focus of Things You Save in a Fire. At the beginning of the novel, Cassie has little reason to doubt her courage. She faces danger every day in her job, and she has survived through the major traumas of her 16th birthday. However, she struggles with forgiveness and must learn throughout the novel that forgiveness requires courage and that both can come in many forms. Cassie believes that her greatest strength as a firefighter is her ability to remain calm in crisis, something that requires natural talent as well as courage. Her courage never wavers in the face of physical danger, but she panics at key moments when facing difficult emotions, particularly when she thinks she is about to lose Diana and Owen. The kind of courage she uses to put out fires and save the lives of strangers fails her when she experiences immediate personal crises. Diana, who has already gone through the process of forgiving herself for her past decisions, demonstrates a different kind of courage—accepting her fate while still fighting for her life. When Cassie accuses her of quitting because she won’t try an experimental drug, Diana calmly asserts that “[she is] fighting.