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1. Emoni’s “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Verbena Tembleque” Recipe
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
Babygirl doesn’t cry as Emoni re-braids one of her braids for the fourth time. They’re both going to be late, but Babygirl is unworried—she’s watching Moana, and Emoni can play with her hair forever if Babygirl is in front of Moana. ’Buela tells Emoni to get going while she fixes Babygirl’s hair. Emoni can’t be late for school, though ’Buela knows that Emoni wishes she could take Babygirl to daycare herself. Emoni worked hard to get Emoni into a good daycare with Mamá Clara, but now that Babygirl is actually going, Emoni is an emotional wreck.
Emoni reads as a dedicated parent. She wants Babygirl to look nice, for one, and she also went out of her way to get her daughter into a “good” daycare so Babygirl will have a good start to her education. This passage also reveals who, perhaps, Emoni was missing when she made the tembleque in the novel’s opening: her daughter. Further, Emoni misses her daughter because she has to balance parenthood with her own education.
Themes
Emoni spins Babygirl’s chair so they’re facing each other and tells her that Mommy needs to go to school. Babygirl should be nice and pay attention to Mamá Clara. Babygirl nods seriously as Emoni gives her a kiss and then reminds ’Buela that she already packed Babygirl’s snacks and some water, so that Babygirl won’t drink so much sugary juice today. ’Buela scoffs. She raised both Emoni’s dad and Emoni, so she’s an expert. But ’Buela tells Emoni to have a good first day of school. Emoni pulls the door open and listens to the sound of the street. As she closes the door behind her, her breath catches—everyone she loves is inside. Hearing ’Buela tell Emma (Babygirl) to be a big girl today, Emoni tells herself that she also has to be a big girl.
Emoni is still a student, and whether she’s in high school or college, it’s clear that needing to parent her daughter competes with school for Emoni’s full attention. Still, this passage makes it clear that Emoni isn’t raising Babygirl alone: she has her grandmother’s help getting Babygirl to daycare so that Emoni can focus on her own education. When Emoni takes ’Buela’s advice and reminds herself to be a big girl, it’s a reminder that Emoni is still a child herself. She still needs an adult to reassure her that she’s going to be okay, just like Babygirl does.
Themes
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