An analysis and discussion of the book “Angel Fire” by American novelist Ron Franscell.
This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the book “Angel Fire,” by Ron Franscell, about an American family caught up in the effects of the Vietnam War. Specifically, the paper looks at the relationship between the men in the book – Daniel McLeod and his brother Cassidy, whose roles in the family are redefined after Daniel returns from Vietnam. The paper explains why “Angel Fire” is considered a novel of tragedy and triumph.
“It is this bond that takes Cassidy back to New Canaan, and holds him to his brother when he returns from the dead. Cassidy has to learn not only that he can get along without his brother, but that it is all right, and the only place logical for his lessons is New Canaan. The story is not just about the incredible bond between the brothers, but about how that bond becomes like a shackle for Cassidy, something he cannot seem to get rid of in his adult life. He seems to think, even if unconsciously, that he will never measure up to Daniel, and that it is Daniel who has made him what he is, even to putting some of Daniel’s stories in his novel. He is unable to separate himself from his brother, and so the book is just as much about the separation as it is about the bond.”