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32. Impossibilities
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 is one of the last students to leave the room. When she steps into the hallway, she tries to avoid Pretty Leslie giggling at Malachi, but Malachi calls Emoni over to ask her something. Pretty Leslie asks Emoni how Babygirl is in a fake whisper. Emoni forces herself to keep smiling—she’s not ashamed of Babygirl or of being a mom. She says Babygirl is doing great and then looks Malachi in the eye. His dimples are gone. Pretty Leslie tells Malachi she couldn’t imagine being a parent in high school, but he’s not listening. As he stares at Emoni, Emoni keeps her shoulders back. Most boys think she’s dramatic or easy once they learn she’s a mom. But surprisingly, Malachi invites Emoni to get ice cream after school. Emoni accepts, enjoying Pretty Leslie’s confused face.
Pretty Leslie is clearly trying to make Emoni look undesirable in front of Malachi by mentioning that Emoni has a daughter. With this, the novel illustrates how being a parent in high school makes being a normal teen difficult (if not impossible) for Emoni, given that some people (like Pretty Leslie) see Emoni’s choice to have and parent a child as shameful. Malachi is, perhaps, more mature than Emoni has given him credit for, though, since he doesn’t seem to care that Emoni is a parent and asks her out anyway.
Themes
