Fireplaces have long been more than just sources of warmth, they are storytellers in their own right. The fireplace is a recurring and significant symbol in art, literature and film, representing home, warmth, comfort, and safety, creating a connection in the storytelling. Yes, fireplaces are a functional home feature, but they are also so much more than that. In the home the fireplace doesn’t just heat the room, it creates a focal point, it is the place where the family gathers, where they hang their stockings with care on Christmas eve, where they feel safe, it is a way of creating ambience in a room and a place to both celebrate and reflect. Both literature and film aspire to reflect real life wherever possible, and to create a scene, an image that we can relate to, which is why fireplaces play a significant role in literature and film. They help to normalise the scene, to make it relatable, and in literature add description so the reader can visualise the background. But more than this, film and literature both use symbolism to reiterate the mood and the storyline, the fire is a great way to do this. Fires symbolise enlightenment and empowerment, it depicts rebirth, renewal and purification. Moreover, the fireplace, the type of fireplace, its fuel source, size, etc, can also reflect the characters, telling us about not only their personality and style preference, but also their social standing. Fireplaces are an iconic symbol in literature and film, they are an emotionally evocative centre piece that sets the tone for a cosy and nostalgic read, which is why they feature in literature and film, almost as much as they do in our homes.
Fireplaces in literature and film
Let’s take a look at some of the iconic and most memorable uses of fireplaces in literature and film.
Fireplaces in storytelling
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. A romantic novel about the love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, set in rural England in the early 19th century. Both Elizabeth and Darcy have to overcome their pride and prejudice to fall in love and marry. The story mocks the tendency to judge people based on their social position. There are multiple scenes in this novel that include a fireplace. In most of these scenes, there is a fireside conversation in a cosy drawing room with an expensive and extravagant fireplace. These scenes reflect intimacy and connection, helping the reader to feel the love that is blossoming and the social standing of the characters.
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. A story about an elderly miser who is rude to people, only cares about money and is completely alone, except for his businesses. On Christmas Eve he is visited by three ghosts, who show him his past, present and future, ultimately transforming him into a nicer person. In this story Ebenezer Scrooge spends much of his time by his fireplace, contemplating his past, present and future. In one scene Scrooge sits by the fireplace to eat his gruel, as he does the mantlepiece transforms into Jacob Marley’s face. In another scene Bob Cratchit accidentally applauds and when Scrooge notices he pokes the fire, extinguishing the last spark. Scrooge and Bob Cratchit also discuss the fire, when Cratchit asks for more coal and Scrooge refuses him, reflecting the power Scrooge holds. There are many cosy fireplace scenes, symbolising warmth and family during the holiday season, but for Scrooge the fireplace is a solitary place. This peaks a sadness for Scrooge as the reader sees his loneliness, caused by his own past, alongside the happy family fireplace scenes which are a direct contrast.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. This gothic novel focuses on the toxic relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. It often features supernatural elements, ominous settings, and threats to young women, while exploring themes of love, passion, hatred, vengeance, pride, and redemption, as well as the destructive nature of love and its power to continue even after death. There are multiple fireplace scenes in this story, some of the cosy fireplace scenes are designed to symbolise comfort and warmth, other fireplace scenes symbolise the problematic yet passionate relationship between the main characters, while other fireplace scenes depict the decline of Hindley’s mental state and morality after the death of Frances. Brontë uses the fireplace to evoke a range of emotions in the reader, her dramatic fireside moments reflect the tumultuous emotions of the characters..
Cosy fireplace scenes in films
- Harry Potter series. A book and movie series about a young boy who discovers he is a wizard and has to continually save his friends, his school and the world from ‘The Dark Lord’. Fireplaces in books and movies is important, especially in Harry Potter. Here, we don’t just see cosy fireplace scenes in the Gryffindor common room, but we also see the fire being used for communication and transportation. In this series, fire is powerful, even the phoenix bursts into flame to be reborn. In the cosy fireplace scenes the fireplace is somewhere the characters can reflect and come together to celebrate or contemplate. In the scene where Sirius communicated to Harry through the fire the fireplace symbolises a link and a way to achieve something that seems impossible. While in the transportation scenes, the fireplace is a symbol of new openings, as well as an uncertainly of the destination.
- The Holiday. A Christmas romance about two women who are unlucky in love and decide to swap homes over the Christmas period. Each of them meets a man and falls in love, finally the four come together and we see a potentially happy future for them all. In this movie there is a cosy and romantic fireplace in the cottage which evokes themes of love and homeliness. Both women swap their homes because they feel lost, as if they need to find themselves, their home, the fireplace and the scenes of the two couples gathered around the fireplace is a symbol that together, they have finally found their home.
- Home Alone. A movie about a boy who is feeling overwhelmed by his family and wishes they would all disappear, the next morning he wakes up to find the large family has gone on holiday and have forgotten him, he is left home alone. Initially he enjoy the freedom, but he quickly starts to miss his family. The fireplace is an excellent symbol of family and togetherness and we see this in many scenes in Home Alone. For example, we see the Christmas stockings hanging by the fireplace, indicating the number of children in the family and evoking a sense of loneliness that the main character, Kevin, is not with his parents and siblings. Other fireplace scenes include Kevin saying goodnight to his family and him telling Santa he wants his family back. Both scenes reiterating the importance of family and the relationship between family togetherness and the fireplace.
Fireplaces in books and movies
Fireplaces in books and movies play a crucial role in the storytelling, as symbols of comfort, love and romance, connection, nostalgia and family values, as well as loneliness, sadness, despair and reflection. By installing a fireplace into your home, you can recreate some of the fireplaces in books and movies scenes, the memorable moments with a loved one and family, the connection with other people and the sense of home and belonging. Movies and books have a magic about them that captivates us from the start, you can bring this same magic into your home and create your own ‘movie-worthy’ moments, simply by adding a fireplace. To find the perfect fireplace for you, take a look at our diverse range, or visit our showroom.