Previous
35. Phone Calls
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 Julio picks up the phone, Emoni can tell he’s at his barbershop working. He says ’Buela told him Emoni is taking a cooking class and is going to Spain, which annoys Emoni—why does ’Buela nag her to call Julio if ’Buela tells him everything anyway? Emoni says she’ll only go if she can afford it, and Julio launches into one of his favorite history lessons. He dislikes Europe and tells Emoni to be proud and not “bow down to her oppressor.” Emoni says she’s pretty sure they’re going to Spain because Chef Ayden likes Spanish food, not because Spain was a colonial power. They discuss Babygirl for a bit and then say goodbye. Neither says “I love you.” Julio doesn’t apologize for abandoning Emoni, and Emoni doesn’t tell him she’s angry he left.
Emoni’s annoyance at Julio’s history lesson is palpable. She seems to not have anything against Spain, while Julio believes that Spain should still be held accountable for the horrific things it did as it colonized the Americas. This disagreement may contribute more to Emoni and Julio’s fraught relationship. It’s also hard for Emoni to enjoy this conversation much since she doesn’t get to share any of her own news, something that causes her to feel even more like a child and less like the young adult she actually she is.
Themes
