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7. That Girl
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
Ms. Fuentes shares two announcements with her Advisory class. First, they’re getting a new student tomorrow. This elicits groans; nobody wants to talk to a new kid. Second, she’s handing out a list of new electives. Emoni takes the list and studies it as the bell rings. In addition to the usual offerings like dance and photography, there’s a class titled Culinary Arts: Spain Immersion. There hasn’t been a culinary arts class at Schomburg in years, though the school has a classroom kitchen and a café. Emoni is thrilled—until she remembers that the responsible thing to do senior year is to stay in study hall during the elective class period.
The announcement about the new kid is inconsequential to Emoni next to learning about the culinary arts elective. This represents everything Emoni has ever wanted to do: she’ll be able to learn how to be a real chef while she’s still in high school. But already, Emoni recognizes that signing up for the class isn’t as easy as checking a box. She has other responsibilities, and she wonders if doing well in her other classes and caring for Babygirl, for instance, should outweigh getting to do something that will make her happy.
Themes
At lunch later, Angelica suggests that Emoni take graphic design with her—but then says that Emoni must be excited for the culinary arts class. Emoni pulls out her phone, which is against the rules, but she needs to check in with ’Buela about Babygirl’s drop off and ’Buela’s doctor’s appointment later. Once the girls are seated, Angelica says Emoni is trying to be a martyr and convince herself she has to give up on the things she wants to do for ‘Buela or Babygirl’s sake. Emoni says she just wishes she had everything figured out, but Angelica warns her that senior year is Emoni’s last chance to try something new and be a teen.
Emoni frames it as somewhat absurd that she’s still expected to adhere to school rules about having her phone. She’s a parent, after all, and she needs to be able to communicate with people about Babygirl—being a senior in high school doesn’t change that. However, Angelica essentially proposes that Emoni should take the opportunity to be a selfish kid and sign up for the culinary arts class, as she’ll never have more support and time to do the things she loves than she does now. Emoni is still technically a kid, and as Angelica sees it, Emoni should take advantage of that fact.
Themes
Emoni admits that learning to cook Spanish food would be fun, but Angelica says the class isn’t just about learning to cook—there’s a weeklong trip to Spain in the spring. Schomburg has offered immersion classes before, but Emoni has never wanted to take a class she knows she can’t afford. Emoni is privately certain she can’t afford this class and should keep her study hall. Instead of dreaming, she focuses on her sandwich and how she could make it tastier. She can’t make her life better, but it helps to focus on what she can change.
Once Angelica brings up the travel component of the culinary arts class, Emoni is certain the class is a bad idea. Affordability aside, the travel component means Emoni won’t be around for a week to care for Babygirl or work. As Emoni sees it, it’s more practical (and less heartbreaking) to focus on cooking as a hobby and stay focused in her other classes.
Themes
