What the Fireflies Knew

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses racism.

Fireflies are a symbol for emotional connection and memory. Kai Harris introduces the fireflies in relation to knowledge in the title as a symbol for what KB must learn: namely, the importance of finding good even in difficult events and staying present so that she can make enough good memories to heal from trauma. The fireflies first appear in the novel when Granddaddy teaches KB to slow down and be still if she wishes to catch the fireflies. This encounter cements the relationship between the two. KB internalizes this message as an extension of her father’s advice to slow down, making the encounter with the fireflies a specific symbol for the connection between KB and male parental figures.

The fireflies show that KB’s connection with nature is part of her journey toward enriched emotional connections and memories. Through quiet contemplation of nature, KB gains a mindfulness that helps her to deal with difficult experiences such as racism, sexual assault, and the disruption of her family life. Harris has KB return to the fireflies at the end of the novel. When KB reflects on what happened during this summer at her grandfather’s house, she notes that, “[a]t the beginning of the summer, [she] ain’t even know how to catch a firefly” but now she knows how to “catch a firefly, and [she] can hold on, too” (270).