Izzy Richardson Character Analysis in Little Fires Everywhere

The youngest and most rebellious of the Richardson children, Izzy is a freshman in high school and is desperate for escape from her heavily-regulated life. Born prematurely and, as a result, over-parented by her mother Mrs. Richardson, Izzy learns throughout the course of the novel—at the prodding of Mia Warren—to use her voice and her action to “do something” about her circumstances. Izzy, drawn to Mia because of her freedom, artistry, and sensitivity, asks to become her photography assistant. Mia agrees, and the two begin spending most of their afternoons together, working in the rental house. Mia teaches Izzy several lessons about agency, change, and renewal, prodding her to “do something” to change the things in her life with which she is unhappy and warning her that, like ground razed by fire, sometimes “everything” must be burnt to the ground to make way for the “growth” of new ideas. Izzy takes Mia’s advice a bit too literally, and uses Mia’s words as fuel for school pranks, for challenging her parents, and for, eventually, literally setting a fire to her family’s home. Izzy represents disruption and ostracism, and her relationship with her own mother is one of the relationships at the heart of the novel’s theme of mothers and daughters.

Izzy Richardson Quotes in Little Fires Everywhere

The Little Fires Everywhere quotes below are all either spoken by Izzy Richardson or refer to Izzy Richardson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“The firemen said there were little fires everywhere,” Lexie said. “Multiple points of origin. Possible use of accelerant. Not an accident.”

Related Characters: Lexie Richardson (speaker), Izzy Richardson

Related Symbols: Fire

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

The novel opens with a raging fire which decimates the Richardson family’s home. Each member of the family except for Moody, the youngest boy, believes that Izzy—who has fled the scene and, perhaps, the town—is to blame. While the Richardson siblings bicker and muse amongst themselves as to the fire’s origin, the eldest child, Lexie, explains that the fire looked purposeful, and designed to level the house—and, by proxy, the entire Richardson family. Immediately setting up some of the novel’s central themes—disruption of order and the complicated, often explosive nature of mother-daughter relationships—this quote gives the novel its title and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus

“Well?” said Mia. “What are you going to do about it?”
It was not a question Izzy had been asked before. Until now her life had been one of mute, futile fury. What was she going to do about it? The very idea that she could do something stunned her.

Related Characters: Izzy Richardson (speaker), Mia Warren (speaker), Mrs. Peters, Deja Johnson

Page Number and Citation: 79

Explanation and Analysis:

Izzy Richardson is one of the characters most representative of the theme of disruption, though it’s her actions that herald disruption, not simply her presence, as in the case of Mia and Pearl. Izzy has been acting out in small ways throughout her childhood and early teens when Mia begins working in the Richardson household, and when Izzy confides in her about the injustices she sees at school, Mia prompts her toward further—and larger—action. Izzy’s life of “mute fury” has been one lived, despite her small outbursts, well within the order established by her community and by her mother. The Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimu

She had learned, with Izzy’s birth, how your life could trundle along on its safe little track and then, with no warning, skid spectacularly off course.

Related Characters: Mrs. Richardson / Elena (speaker), Izzy Richardson

Page Number and Citation: 110

Explanation and Analysis:

Mrs. Richardson’s quest for control has been a lifelong one, rooted deeply in her childhood and adolescence in Shaker Heights. Her exposure to a world defined by order and regulation from such an early age created in her the idea that perfection is not just possible, but worth striving for. For many years, Mrs. Richardson’s life “trundle[d]” along the pattern she carved out for it—until the birth of her youngest daughter, Izzy, who was born premature and spent months on the edge of sickness and calamity, and who has grown up to be headstrong, defiant, and unrelenting—the very qualities that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti sol

“Is she going to be okay?”
“She’s going to survive, if that’s what you mean.” Mia stroked Izzy’s hair. It was like Pearl’s, like her own had been as a little girl: the more you tried to smooth it, the more she insisted on springing free. “She’s going to get through this because she has to.”
“But how?”
“I don’t know, honestly. But she will. Sometimes, just when you think everything’s gone, you find a way. Like after a prairie fire. I saw one, years ago. It seems like the end of the world. The earth is scorched and black and everything green is gone. But after the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too, you know. They start over. They find a way.”

Related Characters: Izzy Richardson (speaker), Mia Warren (speaker), Bebe Chow

Related Symbols: Fire

Page Number and Citation: 295

Explanation and Analysis:

In the wake of Bebe’s having lost any and all opportunity to obtain custody of her daughter, May Ling, she seeks comfort in Mia’s home. Izzy, after arriving for her daily routine of helping Mia with her photography, witnesses Bebe’s anguish and becomes concerned. Mia, herself having narrowly escaped having to give up her child years ago, can’t possibly convey to Izzy the pain that Bebe feels, and in the face of such raw torment struggles to find a way to explain to a child what the lesson in the situation is, or where the hope in it lies. Mia, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint a

The police would find Izzy, she told herself. They would find her and she would be able to make amends. She wasn’t sure how, but she was certain she would. And if the police couldn’t find her? Then she would look for Izzy herself. For as long as it took, for forever if need be. Years might pass and they might change, both of them, but she was sure she would still know her own child, just as she would know herself, no matter how long it had been. She was certain of this.

Related Characters: Mrs. Richardson / Elena (speaker), Izzy Richardson

Page Number and Citation: 336

Explanation and Analysis:

At the end of the novel, Mrs. Richardson has lost her home, her daughter, and the sense of order, regulation, and predictability that once governed her cookie-cutter existence. As she sits on the front steps of her rental home on Winslow Road—a place she has looked down upon for years as “less desirable” than her own home, a place where she is now forced to live for an indeterminate length of time while her own ravaged home is rebuilt— thinking of her runaway daughter Izzy, she finally breaks down. Izzy is not just lost or missing—she has chosen to escape Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur la

Izzy Richardson Character Timeline in Little Fires Everywhere

The timeline below shows where the character Izzy Richardson appears in Little Fires Everywhere. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...of gossip to discuss—the Richardson family’s house has burned down in a raging fire and Izzy, the youngest of the Richardson children, is the suspect. All the following summer the residents... (full context)

...at her best friend Serena Wong’s house. Alone on the lawn, Mrs. Richardson wonders where Izzy “had gotten to” and where her sons are. (full context)

Identity: Heritage, Assimilation, and Transience Theme Icon

...hasn’t been entirely burned down—a “brick shell” remains. All of the Richardson children, except for Izzy, have gathered on the lawn. Lexie had been awakened by a phone call from her... (full context)

The siblings talk about how Mrs. Richardson “is going to murder” Izzy when Izzy comes back, and they assume that they’ll all stay in a hotel, which... (full context)

...Multiple points of origin. Not an accident.” Moody chastises his siblings for always picking on Izzy, saying that maybe that’s why “she acts mental.” Meanwhile everyone has seemingly forgotten about the... (full context)

...Richardsons’ house, and feels enveloped and accepted right away. She does not see much of Izzy, though she does not notice this, as “dazzled” as she is by the other Richardsons,... (full context)

...it is “a psychological study” or “anthropology.” Lexie and Trip joke that their younger sister Izzy, who doesn’t enjoy watching the show, will soon be on Springer herself. They recount to... (full context)

Izzy and Moody are not invited to the party, as they’re underclassmen. Moody is disappointed that... (full context)

A week into working for the Richardsons, Mia finds herself alone in the kitchen with Izzy, who is suspended from school. Izzy introduces herself as “the crazy one,” then sits with... (full context)

Izzy is frustrated with having been suspended when she believes she was standing up for what... (full context)

A bit later, Izzy, with “the heart of a radical but the experience of a fourteen-year-old living in the... (full context)

Moody, Pearl, and Izzy “immobilize” their high school in under ten minutes by inserting toothpicks into every locked door... (full context)

In the wake of the prank, toothpicks are banned from school, and Izzy and Deja experience a moment of silent solidarity—Mrs. Peters now leaves Deja alone. The prank’s... (full context)

Izzy walks to the house on Winslow every day after school to work as Mia’s photography... (full context)

...and Moody back to the Richardson house, where Mia is preparing the Richardsons’ dinner while Izzy watches. At Lexie’s nudging, Pearl confronts Mia about the photograph, but Mia is defensive and... (full context)

Izzy, hungry for answers that will help her understand Mia, researches Pauline Hawthorne but can’t find... (full context)

...be unraveled”, returns to her assigned work for the newspaper. She recalls that it was Izzy who sent her down this futile “rabbit hole” in the first place. (full context)

Mrs. Richardson remains annoyed with Izzy for the rest of the week—though she admits “she [is] usually annoyed with Izzy.” Mrs.... (full context)

...are invited to attend a birthday party thrown by their friends, the McCulloughs. Moody and Izzy want to invite Pearl, but Mrs. Richardson refuses, telling them that “Pearl is not part... (full context)

...the baby—originally named May Ling—was theirs. While Lexie and her mother gush over the baby, Izzy needles Mrs. McCullough for having assigned May Ling a “random” birthday and changing her birth... (full context)

...McCulloughs’ representation, telling his family that “they just want to do right by the baby.” Izzy calls her father a “baby stealer,” and is sent to her room. As she leaves... (full context)

Lexie is admitted to Yale and, to celebrate, Mrs. Richardson offers to take Lexie, Izzy, and Pearl out for a fancy girls’ lunch. Pearl is surprised by the invitation, but... (full context)

...Mrs. Richardson and Lexie side with the McCulloughs, as does Mr. Richardson, while Moody and Izzy, inspired by Pearl and Mia, take Bebe’s side. Lexie and Brian also argue amongst themselves... (full context)

...to happen,” just as Pearl arrives home to check on Lexie. A few minutes later, Izzy arrives for her afternoon photography session with Mia. She sees Lexie inside, and, suspicious, asks... (full context)

...hear that Lexie’s perspective has shifted—she feels a great deal of sympathy for Bebe now. Izzy is suspicious, and Moody describes the case as one which will tear families “all over... (full context)

...if he knows who his older brother’s “mystery girl” is. Moody returns home and finds Izzy there—she tells him that Mia is working at Lucky Palace, despite Pearl having told him... (full context)

...“better this way.” Lexie, distraught and dazed, walks to the house on Winslow. She finds Izzy and Mia sitting at the kitchen table, and she sits with them and tells them... (full context)

...gone to the state, “with the recommendation that the adoption by the McCulloughs be expedited.” Izzy, who has not heard the news, arrives at Mia’s as usual, and is frightened by... (full context)

...that Pearl and Trip are the ones who are “screwing.” In the room next door, Izzy sits in stunned silence and thinks about what she’s just overheard. (full context)

...[it is] her house, after all.” Mia is surprised to see her. Mrs. Richardson notices Izzy’s jacket draped over a chair, and the sight of it here, “as if [this] were... (full context)

...“whole life” she ran away from in order to follow the “rules.” Mrs. Richardson takes Izzy’s jacket from the back of the chair and tells Mia to vacate the apartment by... (full context)

There is a knock at the door—Mia answers it, and finds that it is Izzy. Izzy is confused because the door has never been locked before. She asks if Bebe... (full context)

When Izzy returns home, she finds the house empty. Moody and Trip were home earlier; they fought... (full context)

Izzy tells Moody that she knows Pearl didn’t have an abortion. She tries to think of... (full context)

Izzy goes to Serena’s house, where she confronts Lexie about her abortion. Izzy tells Lexie that... (full context)

...Trip has gone to play basketball, and Moody has gone to Pearl’s house to apologize. Izzy believes her mother is at the rec center, swimming laps. Overwhelmed by the unfairness of... (full context)

After having spent the entire night awake and planning, Izzy barely thinks at all as she retrieves a can of gasoline from the garage, pours... (full context)

...hood of Lexie’s car across the street. Mrs. Richardson knows that her husband is discussing Izzy’s absence with the police, probably giving them a description of her and asking them to... (full context)

...one bedroom for the boys, and the sleeping porch for the girls—she is “certain” that Izzy will be home “shortly.” (full context)

...newsprint, and Mrs. Richardson is “sure” the text is from “one of her own articles.” Izzy has already removed her print, which featured a black rose made from boot leather. Mia... (full context)

...a chance to say goodbye to the Richardson children. The two of them lament “poor Izzy” being stuck in a place she wants to leave, and Pearl suggests going back for... (full context)

...cross into Iowa, and the Richardsons gather at the duck pond near their burned house, Izzy, with “the smell of smoke still [in] her hair,” boards a greyhound bus for Pittsburgh.... (full context)

...of the duplex in just her bathrobe. Though all day she has been angry with Izzy, now she is worried—Izzy has crossed a line, and “she might never [come] back.” A... (full context)

Izzy Richardson Character Analysis

Izzy Richardson Quotes in Little Fires Everywhere

Chapter 1 Quotes

Chapter 7 Quotes

Chapter 9 Quotes

Chapter 18 Quotes

Chapter 20 Quotes

Izzy Richardson Character Timeline in Little Fires Everywhere