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48. Sous Chef
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 Angelica opens the door, Malachi and Emoni enter with bags of food. The house smells like Angelica cleaned—though Emoni knows she hates cleaning. After a few shrugs and sideways glances, Angelica asks Malachi to check that she set the table correctly while she talks to Emoni. In the kitchen, Angelica loudly asks if Malachi isn’t dating Pretty Leslie. Emoni rolls her eyes, says she just needed help carrying bags, and preheats the oven.
Angelica might be supportive of Emoni, but she’s not as subtle as Malachi was around ’Buela. Still, it’s a sign of Emoni’s comfort level with her friend that she doesn’t seem embarrassed by Angelica speaking so loudly and outright about Malachi.
Themes
Angelica nervously pulls down two plates, which she says are Thanksgiving plates. Noticing her shaking hand, Emoni grabs Angelica’s hand and asks what’s going on. With some coaxing, Angelica admits that she and Laura haven’t had sex yet, and she’s afraid of not knowing what to do. Emoni assures Angelica that Laura loves her and will be happy to take it slow. She also notes that she “put a little extra magic” in the meal, so she can guarantee that things will be fine. Then, Emoni walks Angelica through plating the meal and gives her friend a hug before leaving with Malachi.
Angelica might seem confident and self-assured most of the time, but here, she reveals her insecurities. This also demonstrates how comfortable she is around Emoni—Emoni is her main support person as she processes potentially having sex with Laura later. Emoni’s maturity shines through as she soothes Angelica. She recognizes that this is a huge deal to her friend, and she goes out of her way to not make Angelica feel weird or uncomfortable about confiding in her.
Themes
