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
After English, Angelica asks who Emoni was talking to before class. Emoni tries to avoid the question, but she explains that Malachi is new and from Newark. Angelica then asks how the culinary arts class went. Emoni says dismissively that they just learned about tools, and she asks if Angelica’s graphic design class also started learning about tools. Angelica says she’ll spend the first two weeks learning the computer programs, but she’s more interested in hearing about Malachi. It’s comforting for Emoni to hear that Chef Ayden isn’t babying the culinary arts class. Emoni refuses to say more about Malachi and insists that even if he would make a cute prom date, she’s not going to prom.
As Emoni gets into this conversation with Angelica, her purpose is to see if Chef Ayden is treating the culinary class like they’re little kids, or if it’s normal for classes to begin with an overview of the associated tools. To her surprise and relief, Angelica shares that learning about tools is pretty normal, regardless of what a person is learning about. This suggests that part of Emoni’s struggle in the culinary arts class will be simply learning how such a class works. It’s not just about food and flavor; it’s also about learning technicalities and best practices.