The story “The Columbus School for Girls,” by Liza Wieland contains the imagery of smoke, fire, and burning as a means of expressing the many aspects of love and passion. The ultimate symbol of love in the story is an all-consuming fire, yet smoke and burning act as manifestations of the different stages of love. The “narrators” in the story experience many of these facets by witnessing it in the life of Emily Jerman, and ultimately come to a realization and transformation of their own. Through these experiences the girls come to a new understanding of their lives and the world.In the beginning of the story the imagery of smoke and fire is continually attached to Emily Jerman. The first encounter in the story is the narrators’ desire to “build a fire fight at her feet,”(1388) as if in worship of her. The descriptions of Emily exemplify the love the narrators have for her. They “burn for her,” and see her hair “in flames” (1391). Her voice is “like being wrapped in a smoky blanket,” and the girls try to imitate her every action. This connection of fire imagery with Emily is a manifestation of the love and passion they see within her and their worship of her is the expression of their desire to be like Emily.In the middle of the story the imagery begins to shift from that of a controlled fire, to one that is more explosive and charged. A new side of Emily is revealed to the narrators and the imagery conveys the change by becoming more violent to expression the passion Emily shares with the girls. The story of the gardener and the young girl is where this can be seen. “Exploded,” “burnt” and “the two bodies tangled together singed, blackened by smoke”(1392) is the gruesome imagery used. This imagery expresses a new notion of love and passion. One that is more dangerous and out of control, but one the girls seem a...
