Fireweed is a story about Baluta, who grew up in Liberia. With the memories of his tough childhood, he tries to get trough the days, without remembering too much, but it is hard. He lives with his brother and sister in law in the ghettos. He lost the rest of his family. They are poor, but they are all working and getting by. The day the story is told, Baluta gets up, take a shower, and drive to work for someone in the finer area. Throughout the day, he remembers things from his childhood.
The story is told from Balutas point of view. We hear about one day in his life. The story is chronological. You hear both about how his life is now, but there are also many flashbacks. There are many themes in the story, but I think the main theme is that you have to cherish the present. It is important to be grateful for what you have and Baluta sure is. He has tried to have almost nothing and he has also seen how suddenly it all could end. Other themes could be poverty, culture differences, and racism. You see a clear difference in the culture of Tiffany and Baluta. Tiffany complains about not being able to get the right color of paint, while we never hear Baluta complain about anything. That again also shows how he is grateful for his life. The racism is seen, when Baluta first arrives at Tiffany’s house and she looks all frightened. She is scared of the black man, until she is told, that he will work for her.
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