Previous
5. Magic
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
Angelica and Emoni part ways at Emoni’s Advisory (homeroom) classroom. Her Advisory teacher is Ms. Fuentes, and Advisory is Emoni’s favorite class. The same kids have been in the class since freshman year. Ms. Fuentes greets Emoni when she enters and asks how Emoni’s summer was. She teases Emoni for her monosyllabic answers and then asks about Emma. Emoni says Emma’s great and tells Ms. Fuentes a bit about her part-time job at the Burger Joint. Looking concerned, Ms. Fuentes asks if Emoni can handle so much and reminds her that senior year is stressful. Emoni knows this, but she has to work—’Buela’s disability checks only go so far. Then, Ms. Fuentes says she has a surprise for Emoni later.
While Emoni appreciates Ms. Fuentes for her support and enthusiasm, it also starts to look a bit like Ms. Fuentes is a bit out of touch with the realities of Emoni’s life. Emoni makes it seem like really, she has no choice but to balance school, a job, and childcare. The fact that this all is going to make senior year more stressful is kind of beside the point. However, note that Emoni doesn’t explain this to Ms. Fuentes, which suggests that perhaps, she doesn’t fully trust Ms. Fuentes to understand and support Emoni despite this challenging situation.
Themes
