Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in With the Fire on High, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age and Teen Parenthood
Creativity vs. Professional Norms
Food and Connection
Caregiving, Independence, and Identity
Support, Community, and Mentorship
Summary
Analysis
Emoni enters Malachi’s host family’s house; his host parents are professors and are at a school event. Noticing that Emoni looks nervous, Malachi suggests they go out. But Emoni asks to watch some TV and decide. As they watch a Harry Potter marathon, Malachi plays with Emoni’s fingers. Finally, Emoni asks if he’s a virgin. He says he fooled around with a girl at his old school, but his brother was shot and he moved before they went any further. Emoni and Malachi begin kissing slowly. Tyrone was fast and focused on himself the few times he and Emoni had sex, but this is totally different.
Malachi continues to go out of his way to not put pressure on Emoni, particularly when it comes to sex. Even just in this passage, as they chat about past sexual experiences and start kissing, it’s clear that any physical contact between them is going to be different for Emoni than things were with Tyrone. Unlike Tyrone, who mostly thought about himself and insulted Emoni at times, Malachi seems interested in connecting openly and honestly with Emoni.
Themes
Emoni and Malachi tease each other about being inexperienced and nervous. Emoni is nervous: she doesn’t know any tricks, and her body has stretch marks. She tries to say that she’s only had sex a few times, but Malachi says this isn’t about other people. It’s about them. They continue kissing and removing clothing, and Malachi kisses Emoni’s stretch marks. But when he begins to fiddle with her pants zipper, Emoni says she thinks they should wait. Malachi hugs Emoni close. Taking a deep breath, Emoni suggests they try other things. Malachi agrees goofily, and Emoni laughs. She’s glad they can laugh.
Malachi makes a point that both he and Angelica have made to Emoni in the past: he and Emoni can make their relationship whatever they need and want it to be. And in this case, that can mean deciding to wait on sex, but finding other ways to have fun together. This takes the pressure off Emoni and allows her the opportunity to experiment and have fun with Malachi—and to have that be the goal.
Themes
