Becoming Isolated In Little Fires Everywhere By Celeste Ng

In the book ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ by Celeste Ng, characters Izzy Richardson finds herself feeling isolated and misunderstood in her circle. Izzy is constantly being pushed to conform to expectations from others, whether it's her relationship problems with her mother or being told what to do by others. Feeling isolated and being alienated from others can give one a hard time navigating through misunderstandings and it can lead one to make bad decisions. First of all, Izzy’s relationship with her family makes her feel isolated and finding others to support her, isolates her from her family. After Izzy got to know Mia Warren really well “it was easy for Izzy to pretend that Mia Warren really well” it was easy for Izzy to pretend that Mia was
Izzy is impacted by the isolation from her mother as she searches for understanding and acceptance from Mia. Later in the story Mrs. Richardson got flashbacks of Izzy when “they went to the pool, Lexie and Trip and Moody were allowed to splash in the shallow end, but Izzy- then aged four had to sit on a towel, coated in sunscreen and shaded by an umbrella.” (NG 111). Mrs. Richardson was very strict on Izzy, not allowing her to do certain things with her siblings since she was a little kid. The experience Izzy has of being isolated from family activities from a young age shapes her behavior and decision processes for the future. Izzy struggles to navigate these processes of finding her place by facing pressure when being excluded by her mother. After a baby shower for Mirabelle, Izzy spoke her opinion on the baby shower and Mrs. Richardson sent her back to her room. After Mrs. Richardson repeated herself multiple times “Izzy dropped her fork onto her plate with a clatter and left the room. Mia should hear about this, “she thought, running upstairs and into her bedroom” (NG
Richardson told Izzy, she took it personally “to do what she has always been told not to; to make matters into her own hands, to make trouble” (NG 94). Izzy’s behavior reflects the deep frustration of being isolated through the conflict with her mother being told what to do. She decides to rebel and prank the school to make trouble because she’s tired of being isolated from herself. The feeling of being misunderstood through isolation drives Izzy to make decisions that break societal norms and seek recognition from others by doing a prank that's very disruptive. Later, Izzy decides to burn down the Richardson’s house and hop on a bus headed for Pittsburgh while “across town her family was just now gathering on the bank of the duck pond, watching the firefighters douse the Richardson house, flame by flame.” (NG 333). Izzy’s decision to burn down the Richardson family house and flee represents the peak of her feelings of alienation from her family. The act of arson symbolizes Izzy’s desire to break free from her family environment. The scene of the fire divides Izzy and her family from the misunderstanding that caused her to run away in search of somewhere she