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
On the street, Malachi compliments Emoni’s steak and says that the mac and cheese made him remember learning to make boxed mac and cheese with his brother. Emoni lets him take the bag of dirty dishes—it’s nice to let someone else carry them for a change. Then, checking her phone, Emoni asks if he wants to come back to watch TV and eat leftovers. Malachi agrees, as long as they don’t watch a scary movie. At this, Emoni giggles like she hasn’t in years. She never thought she’d feel this way about a boy again, which feels so silly to say since she is just 17. They sit on opposite ends of the couch, watch a movie, and chat during the commercials. When Malachi hugs Emoni goodbye, she knows he’ll be trouble.
Though Malachi wasn’t even the intended recipient of Emoni’s meal, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t experience her magic touch with food. Recalling this memory of his brother highlights Emoni’s skill at bringing people together and connecting them to their past. Still, Emoni can’t ignore that she’s in a difficult spot, given that she’s a teen parent. On one hand, she feels too old and mature to be flirting like a normal 17-year-old. But on the other hand, Emoni is indeed 17—and she can’t ignore that she’s attracted to Malachi, like she previously implied any normal 17-year-old girl would be.
Themes
