A Study on Izzy’s Existential Predicament and Growth in Little Fires Everywhere from the Perspective of Spatial Criticism

Abstract

Little Fires Everywhere is a novel written by contemporary writer Celeste Ng in 2017. The novel portrays a stubborn and sensitive, brave and bold little girl—Izzy. She has been living in a repressed physical space for a long time, suffering from the control and contempt of family members as well as the isolation and ostracism of teachers and classmates in the social space, which eventually led to the alienation of her psychological space. Later, in the process of communicating with her tenant, Izzy’s shriveled heart is ignited. She sees different lifestyles, captures the meaning of life, and begins to defend freedom and seek her true self in an extremely rebellious way. Finally, she achieves transformation and growth in psychological space and achieves self-redemption in a rigid world. This paper employs spatial criticism theory to analyze the existential predicament Izzy confronts in various spaces and her resistance from three dimensions: the mundane physical space, the oppressive social space, and the estranged psychological space. The aim is to illuminate to readers that only through persistent rebellion can individuals shatter the constraints of space and attain true freedom in the face of repression and injustice.