A fire can be any shape it wants to be. It's free. So it can look like anything at all, depending on what's inside the person looking at it. If you get this deep, quiet kind of feeling when you look at a fire, that's because it's showing you the deep, quiet kind of feeling you have inside yourself...
In Haruki Murakami's "After the Quake," the author explores the concept of fire as a symbol of freedom and self-reflection. Fire can take on any form, reflecting the internal state of the observer. This quality allows it to evoke various emotions, making it a powerful medium for personal introspection. Each individual's experience with fire can differ based on their inner feelings and thoughts, creating a unique connection between the observer and the flame.
Murakami suggests that when someone gazes into a fire and feels a deep, quiet sensation, it is a manifestation of their own internal emotional landscape. The fire does not impose its shape but instead reveals what resides within the viewer, acting as a mirror to their soul. This reinforces the idea that our perceptions of external elements are often reflections of our internal selves, encouraging a deeper exploration of our emotions and consciousness.
