One of the most significant aspects concerning The Flamethrowers is that it deals with the connection that exists between man and the environment around him. This is especially the case considering the manner through which Reno and Sandro interact with each other as well as with others. Reno is shown to be an adventurous sort of person who pursues what she wants and is extremely daring when it comes to attaining her goals. This is one of the reasons why, despite the dangers involved in it, she ends up racing a Valera motorcycle, and totals. Her pushing herself beyond the normal limit can be considered to be Reno’s way of defying nature to such an extent that she seems to be daring it to bring her life to an end. The crash that she has on the Valera motorcycle is a means of showing that nature is still supreme and that despite all the efforts that human beings make towards defying its laws, they are still relevant and will continue to be so for a long time to come. This incident can also be interpreted as a sign that do not have absolute control over the elements, even those that are very familiar to them as seen when Reno is driven by her impulsive nature to try something that has never been tried before by a woman. While the crash does not do any lasting damage on herself, the risk involved in trying to drive it at such a high speed is still prevalent. A single mistake from her and gravity, which is an aspect of nature, takes over and brings about the risk of Reno losing her life.
Geological realities in this novel are especially prevalent when Sandro and Reno travel to Italy at the latter’s insistence. It is during this period that it becomes possible for the circumstances concerning Sandro and his family to be seen. One of the most fundamental aspects of this trip is that Reno comes to see firsthand the way that the Valera family made its fortune. Through the establishment of rubber plantations in Brazil and the use of labor that is not adequately compensated, in addition to its Fascist leanings, this family was able to ensure that it secured its wealth and interests in Italy (Kushner, 2013). Additionally, when Reno gets involved in a civil rebellion in Italy, as a result of her American egalitarian beliefs, she winds up in trouble, being suspected of having had a part in the kidnapping and murder of a man who she had never met before. The result is that the realities that she finds in Italy are in complete conflict from those that she experiences in her home country and she seems to come to the realization that Italy is not the place for her; ending with her escape to France and later, her return to the United States. It is as a result of these experiences that she decides to leave Sandro and take on a new life without him or his influence on her life.
In The Flamethrowers, Reno and Sandro are individuals who come from very different backgrounds, with Reno coming from an essentially working class background, while Sandro comes from a background of privilege. Despite these differences, these two individuals come together because of their love for art and motorcycles and it is through this connection that Reno gets an opportunity to see how the privileged class lives. Reno brings with her the ideals of her working class background which, despite its not having a lot of power in society, is still one that for the most part promotes its egalitarian values. Thus, she ends up essentially attempting to push Sandro towards overcoming his anger or differences with his family and being able to come to terms with them. However, in doing so, she also brings about a situation where she comes to see the Valera family for who they really are; individuals who, despite their veneer of respectability, have a very dark past. It is through the development of this perspective that she comes to the realization that their world cannot be hers. In this way, despite having been the one who pushed to go to Italy, despite Sandro’s reluctance, the realization that it was not what she bargained for points her towards joining a social uprising for the purpose of ensuring that a level of equality is achieved in Italy. This endeavor, however, nearly ends up ruining her life because as a result of the inequality between the poor and the rich in society, the latter seek to maintain the status quo by any means necessary.
In this novel, the relationship between reality and art is questioned (Lerner, 2015). This is especially the case considering that while art is considered to be a uniting factor for both Reno and Sandro; the reality is that these two individuals come from completely different worlds. Hence, their relationship is not likely to last for long without encountering a level of conflict. The story deals with issues concerning the oppressive way through which individuals are able to achieve their wealth and status at the expense of those people who work for them for little pay. It is as a result of these situations being prevalent that they bring about revolutions whose aim is to ensure that the inequalities that are prevalent in society are brought to an end and a truly egalitarian state is formed. This is a theme that recurs in the work of Rachel Kushner and this can be considered to be a means of showing that she is constantly aware of the growing inequality between the rich and the poor in society. Therefore, Reno is the voice that seeks to show that there are a diverse number of differences in society based on inequality that have to be addressed in order to bring about a situation where there is a level of social harmony. This is exemplified in the way that Reno and Sandro separate, which is a reflection of the gap that exists between, people from wealthy and poor backgrounds.
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