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102. Boys Will Be
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
When Pretty Leslie wakes Emoni up, Emoni thinks she’s Babygirl at first. It’s six a.m., and Leslie says she feels awful. Emoni says it serves Leslie right after her behavior last night, but she goes downstairs to get Leslie some water and Alka-Seltzer. When Emoni hands over the glass, she asks if Leslie’s throat hurts from vomiting. Leslie is shocked to hear she vomited and remembers almost nothing from last night. Emoni says that Leslie said awful things and insulted Emoni. Leslie’s eyes widen and she looks ready to cry as she asks how she got home.
Emoni isn’t going to let Pretty Leslie just get away with having said awful things to her last night. However, she still wants to make sure that Leslie is okay and isn’t just left to fend for herself. This is somewhat shocking for Pretty Leslie, both because she doesn’t remember what she did last night and because she seems not to expect this kind of kindness from Emoni.
Themes
Emoni says that she and Malachi brought Leslie back, but now, she has some things she wants to say. Emoni says she doesn’t think she’s better than other people. She’s just private, and it’s not her fault if Malachi didn’t reciprocate Leslie’s crush. Leslie sputters that she was just angry and jealous. Emoni seems to have the perfect life, and of course the cute new guy liked her. Shaking her head, Emoni reminds Leslie that she has a daughter and had to fight to stay in school and graduate on time. Leslie admits it doesn’t make sense, but she acknowledges that she now admires how Emoni handled things. For the first time, Emoni feels like Leslie is being honest with her.
Pretty Leslie confirms explicitly that Emoni comes off as a totally different person in school than she feels on the inside. Emoni feels like a struggling, unmoored teen mom—while Leslie sees her as put together and like someone who’s going places. Even though Emoni and Leslie don’t really come to any agreements during this conversation, it’s still a turning point in their relationship. Finally, they have the space and the reason to be honest, and this helps them develop more respect for each other.
Themes
