Forgotten Fire is obsessed with the concept of imprisonment—both literal and figurative. Vahan spends his fair share of time locked up, but he's also imprisoned when he lives in his old house with Selim Bey, and when he wants to help Seta but can't. Time and again, Vahan is trapped by his lack of power as an Armenian in Turkey—so much so, that even when Vahan is finally free, he's skeptical of this concept. He's been a prisoner for so long, he hardly knows how to even be free.
Questions About Freedom and Confinement
- Why does Vahan work for Selim Bey instead of running away? What eventually prompts him to bolt?
- What makes Vahan feel guilty about his freedom? When he leaves his mom and sister, he doesn't know if he's made the right decision running away, even though his mom told him to. Do you think he made the right choice?
- Is imprisonment literal or a state of mind for Vahan? Does it change over the book?
- What are the consequences of his imprisonment? What are the benefits?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Although Vahan sees working for Selim Bey as imprisonment, it allows him to stay alive and eventually become free.
Vahan is not free because he is tormented by the loss of his family; he is enslaved by the past wrongs done to him.