Self-Acceptance
reflection in the mirror was terrifying. A thousand thoughts ran through each of their minds in the moment it took them to lift the mirror to their now frightening faces, scarred beyond recognition. “…Alvaro looked into the mirror…it wasn’t anything like the face he had grown up with. This isn’t my face, [he] thought”(153-54). How would other people accept what they’ve become when they couldn’t themselves? During Alvaro’s stay at the hospital he constantly thought about what other people would think of him once he returned to campus. “…he had lain awake, lamenting how the students at Seton Hall would stare at him”(151). They no longer saw the people they were but labeled themselves as ‘burned’.
By Skye Oliver Receiving the letter stating that I had been accepted to the college of my choice was liberating. The thought of beginning my freshman year of college and having the opportunity to move away from home and stay on campus was extremely exciting, until I read the story about two college freshman students who were severely burned in a fire at their dorm. Perusing the story of these two survivors made me feel somewhat uneasy. After the Fire is a “true story of friendship and survival”, written by Robin Gaby Fisher. One of the major themes discussed in this deeply compassionate and motivating book is acceptance. Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos experienced a dramatic, life-altering event during their freshman year of college at Seton Hall University, when a devastating fire was ignited. Although their lives would never be the same, even after their miraculous recoveries, the power of friendship and love allows them to continue on through the struggle of accepting who they become, instead of resenting and grieving who they were. Acceptance is a powerful word that describes the ability to approve of, or believe something that results from overcoming a challenging hardship.
During recovery, Alvaro and Shawn were shown support from their parents and each other. Sensing companions’ affection toward them gave Alvaro and Shawn the drive they needed to speed though their painful, yet phenomenal recoveries. Experiencing the unconditional love of family and friends motivated them to accept themselves. Having each other through the ups and downs and endeavors that lay ahead was unique. They both understood what the other was going through. “A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become”(163). Alvaro and Shawn lived through the same traumatic event, struggled to survive, and recovered together.
Throughout the novel, there are several instances where acceptance plays a key role in Shawn’s and Alvaro’s lives. After the fire when Shawn and Alvaro wake up from comas, their parents, friends, and even they must accept who they become, in order to move forward. The first time they hesitantly glanced at their
Shawn, still feeling self-conscious, was apprehensive to return to school, dreading the stares he would receive from his peers and former friends. However, he became comfortable with whom he came to be. Both Shawn and Alvaro shared the thought that they felt as though they were reborn and had an opportunity to start 19
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