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80. New Year, New Recipes
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
Abuelo, Emoni’s grandfather, died before Emoni was born. He didn’t have a job with benefits or life insurance, but luckily Julio was grown by the time he died. However, things got harder for ’Buela when she adopted Emoni and realized she’d raise Emoni on her own. Money got tighter when ’Buela hurt her hand and started receiving disability. She still does some sewing work, but it takes time. And ’Buela maintains that she’s glad it was her dominant hand, not her left hand with her wedding ring, that’s scarred. When Emoni got pregnant, it became clear that ’Buela’s disability checks and her side jobs wouldn’t do much. Emoni has been working since eighth grade to help out. But without her job at the Burger Joint, Emoni has to find a new way to help.
This chapter lays out clearly how difficult finances are for Emoni and her immediate family, especially given that ’Buela both can’t work and has ended up raising more children than she planned to. Knowing this information helps readers understand why Emoni was so intent earlier in the school year on coming up with the money for the Spain trip on her own: she doesn’t want to be even more of a burden to her struggling grandmother. Still, ’Buela also insists that there are things more important than money—such as one’s relationships, as symbolized by her undamaged left hand with her wedding ring on it.
Themes
