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Rats
Fire and water serve as symbols for the demise of Andrew’s mental state as he tries to reconcile himself with his past. Notably, Andrew fears water, while his wife, Dolores, is scared of fire. This contrast suggests their incompatibility and, indeed, they ultimately destroy each other. While Andrew believes he is Teddy, he invents a story about how his fear of water stems from a time in his childhood when his father took him fishing. However, in reality, his fear of water stems from the fact that Dolores drowned his children. Similarly, while Andrew acts as Teddy, he recalls Dolores fearing fire and claims it took her life. In reality, she died because Teddy “fired” a gun and killed her. In each instance, fire and water start off as destructive forces in and of themselves. However, when the truth comes out, it appears these elements are not inherently destructive at all; it is the humans who bend them for their own violent purposes who are to blame.
Fire and Water Quotes in Shutter Island
The Shutter Island quotes below all refer to the symbol of Fire and Water. 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:
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Chapter 4 Quotes
Teddy laughed, heard the sound of it carry off on the sweep of night air and dissolve in the distant surf, as if it had never been, as if the island and the sea and the salt took what you thought you had and...
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Chapter 20 Quotes
“Why you all wet, baby?”
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Chapter 24 Quotes
And he dreamed.
And in his dreams he and Dolores lived in a house by a lake.
Because they’d had to leave the city.
Because the city was mean and violent.
Because she’d lit their apartment on Buttonwood on fire.
Trying to rid it of ghosts.
He dreamed of their love as steel, impervious to fire or rain or the beating of hammers.
He dreamed that Dolores was insane.
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Fire and Water Symbol Timeline in Shutter Island
The timeline below shows where the symbol Fire and Water appears in Shutter Island. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Prologue
...unimpressive and seemingly without purpose. Indeed, the island is not particularly alluring. Sheehan notes that rats were the most common animal to live there, and he spent much of his time...
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One time, Sheehan thinks he saw a rat succeed, but he knows that cannot be true. In the moment, while he was still...
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Chapter 1
...Island got its name. His father says he does not know, though he speculates that pirates named the island because they used to hide their gold throughout the region. While out...
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Teddy informs Chuck that Dolores died in a fire along with three other people. He tells Chuck he has learned to live with Dolores's...
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Chapter 2
...facility for sewage, which is necessary because of how much trash ends up in the water. McPherson also points out a building that used to be the commander's quarters for the...
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Chapter 3
...feels a headache coming on. Dr. Cawley gives him some aspirin, which he takes with water.
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Chapter 6
...Teddy promises he will never leave her and hugs her. Dolores's stomach starts spraying out water, and she reminds Teddy that she is dead. Teddy insists that she is real and...
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...what she is saying. He hugs Dolores tightly for as long as he can while water leaks from her.
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Chapter 7
During the interview, Bridget asks Chuck if he will get her some water. Chuck walks across the room and fills up a cup. As he does so, he...
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Chapter 8
Teddy walks to a breezeway and exposes his head to the storm. As water hits his face, he feels Dolores in the raindrops. He thinks about their last conversation....
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...Teddy tells him Andrew was the maintenance man in his building. One day, Andrew’s boss fired him, so he tried to burn the apartment building to the ground. Andrew was smart...
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...Teddy tells Chuck how he and Dolores met. He also tells him that Dolores feared fire. Chuck acknowledges the tragedy of the situation and once again asks Teddy what he plans...
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...looking, Chuck asks Teddy about what Bridget told him when Chuck went to get her water. Teddy says she did not say anything; rather, she handed him a note. Teddy pulls...
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Chapter 11
...him what is wrong. Teddy explains his migraines to Dr. Cawley, who then offers him water and two yellow pills.
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...concerned. Eventually, Teddy cannot take the pain anymore, and he swallows the pills with the water. Dr. Cawley promises Teddy he will feel better soon.
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Chapter 12
...was saying in his sleep. Teddy ignores the question and asks for a glass of water. If nothing else, at least the pills made Teddy’s headache go away.
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Teddy tells Dr. Cawley that Dolores died in a fire. Dr. Cawley says he is sorry for Teddy’s loss and tells him about a woman...
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Chapter 17
...walking down the beach to look for his lost partner. As he walks, he sees rats everywhere. At first, they do not bother him too much, but he starts to get...
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...from the cliff face and realizes someone must have found a cave and lit a fire. When Teddy reaches the cave, he finds a woman wearing a patient’s uniform inside. Chuck...
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Chapter 21
...the whole time, hiding in plain sight. Teddy asks Dr. Cawley for a glass of water because his throat is starting to get dry. Teddy tells Dr. Cawley that he knows...
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Chapter 22
...he calls someone over the radio and asks them to come up. Moments later, Teddy fires the gun at Dr. Cawley, but it only sprays water. Moments later, Chuck walks through...
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