Fires in The Mirror - Themes

Themes

Racially Motivated Anger

The central focus point of Fires in the Mirror is the anger between two races in the area of Crown Heights in New York City. The anger and tension is between the Lubaviticher Jewish community and the community of people of African American descent. Fires in the Mirror gives firsthand accounts of peoples’ thoughts on the events surrounding the crisis. During the times of murder and mayhem of the Crown Heights crisis, people were forced to make choices with limited options and it is apparent in the words of these people that much of the choices made were on the basis of race. Much of the words spoken have meaning deeply rooted in the historical background between the Jews and the blacks. The information given in each monologue makes references to slavery and the holocaust, the relationships between the two races and the police, as well as the perceptions of the relationships between each other. It is made apparent that there is much anger between the two races and Smith’s play allows a voice for each character to express their viewpoint. They are allowed to express anger and feelings freely and the audience is given many personal accounts.

Personal Identity

Fires in the Mirror is the personal account of real life people involved in the Crown Heights crisis. They give personal testimony to Smith via interview and in the end, Smith has come up with a collection of multiple perspectives on the crisis, the events surrounding, and the deep clash between the two races. By showing us many different points of view and opinions on the issue, we are shown that everyone’s idea on the issue is a little bit different. There are not just two sides to the issue, divided by race; rather, there are many different attitudes, emotions, and opinions that are uniquely individual.