Fire (Symbol)
To the speaker, who finds her mind filled with images of fire when she least expects it, fire is a symbol of guilt and violence. Its symbolic resonance actually comes from a highly literal source—this speaker, like the fairytale character on whom she is based, kills an enemy by burning her in an oven. However, in her memories, the fire itself assumes enormous importance. It becomes a reminder of the pain she has inflicted, the danger she has faced, and the (figuratively) burning power of the past. It is, in fact, the final image Glück includes in the poem, giving readers the impression that fire and the memories it symbolizes will haunt the speaker well into the future.
The father's house (Symbol)
To the speaker, the father's house, where she resides at the time when the poem is set, symbolized both physical safety and emotional isolation. Gretel describes the way her father fortifies the house, barring the door to keep danger at bay. She explains, too, that all of her needs are provided for while she is there. However, she feels lonely, and even ignored, while living with her father and brother. Glück suggests, in fact, that the defensive attitude required to protect the house from danger ends up creating a limiting or repressive emotional atmosphere, so that the house's physical safety and emotional danger are not contradictory but in fact intertwined.
