In “A Rising Wall of Fire,” Guy longs to escape his impoverished life and plummets to his death in the process. Guy's actions are a symbol for the country of Haiti, where his desire for freedom mimics the desire once held by controlled Haitians. Guy's son shows the vestiges of an old European method and the social divide that still prevails, while Lili is the mother who must pick up all the pieces; just as the Haitian people had to continue their difficult lives. Its brief history summarizes a thirteen-year struggle waged by Haitian revolutionaries and describes the downfall that can occur when freedom is finally won. As Haiti fell, so did Guy, falling from freedom to an unforgiving land. If Guy is Haiti as a country, then the little guy is the window through which enduring European ideals appear. Little Guy gets the role of Boukman, the father of the Haitian revolution, in his next play. Guy and Lili are astronomically proud of little Guy, and after reciting his speech, "It made them feel a lot more love than they ever thought they could add to their feelings for their son." (Danticat 229) However, their admiration could go no further because "it was obvious that this was a speech written by a European, who gave the revolutionary Boukman the kind of European formulation that could have turned the tide." true Boukman in his speech. falls." (Danticat 228) Although Little Guy represents a Haitian hero, all the words he speaks are European, which illustrates the full extent of French influences that still strongly persist in Haiti. These European influences are the cause of the Guy's discontent and his thirst for more The rigid two-caste system divides Haiti so definitively that it leaves no room for the poor to...... middle of paper ...... most. great source of comfort. Guy's story and his family's influence paint a picture of the Haitian revolution. Little Guy highlights the French presence with his role as Boukman in the play. in the mouth of the former great revolutionary. Guy tries to free himself from his reality by means of a balloon, only to realize that he cannot really be free. He jumps from his high escape and comes crashing down. on his people, destined to live and die in the fields around his shantytown. Lili remains there, standing in front of her husband's lifeless body. Her son frantically shouts the lines of the revolution and she must continue to live in an even worse situation. Lily's life will become more difficult and Little Guy will have to make great strides to overcome his obstacles, but Guy is free from everything, and still embarks on his salvation in heaven..