Spine Crackers discussion
First Thread: Imagery/Emerging themes
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Declan
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Feb 24, 2020 03:44PM
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Acevedo connects imagery to the theme of being faced with constant challenges. Having a child at a young age, and trying her best to keep up her grades, as well as pursuing her dream of being a chef. In addition to trying to make ends meet. She states “...but I grab that hope between my fingers and crush it like the strands of saffron,praying it doesn't leave a smudge”(Acevedo 104). Emoni's connection with her father is not perfect, she continuously tries to ignore him. She is confused "...like batter that isn't fully blended so there are still hard lumps baking beneath the surface"(117). She feels as if her father reserves the best of him for strangers and “...his own family gets the short end of the stick”(117).
When talking about imagery in the beginning of "With the Fire on High," the first thing that comes to mind for me is when Emoni tries to find her family's features in Emma. She includes details such as "Her big brown eyes and long lashes have to come from me," "her lips are the same as her father's," and "I like to think I can see [my mother's] lineage in her button nose, the seashell of her ears" (29-30). This shows the recurring theme of having strong family connections, which is very important to Emoni. But perhaps the deepest connection for Emoni is that between her and her daughter. Acevedo makes reader feel the strong bond between the two women through scenarios like when Babygirl returns from Tyrone's house. She describes Emoni's alleviation of her paranoia by stating "it's like our entire apartment had been holding its breath, but now that Babygirl's returned, even the breeze coming in through the window heaves a sigh of relief" (53). Acevedo's decision to personify the apartment and the cool breeze to share Emoni's experience makes the feelings seem more intense, which has a larger impact on the reader. I'm curious to see if Emoni's tightest connection being with Emma over other characters like 'Buela and Tyrone will play a greater role in the story later on.
Acevedo uses imagery a decent amount throughout this novel to convey her themes. Obviously the author uses imagery when speaking about cooking, for example stating “ The chicken looks juicy, smothered in onions...” (92). However the way the author uses imagery to describe Malachi really stands out to me. I believe that Malachi’s character represents a recovery process from Emonis pregnancy. After Emoni became pregnant with Tyrone’s child, it makes sense that’d she’d want to keep away from boys. The way the author describes Malachis character allows the reader to understand the theme of recovery. Acevedo writes “ But then he smiles. Dimples popping out on both cheeks like billboards for joy...” (66). The imagery used to describe Malachi let’s the reader understand how this boy is starting to have an impact on Emoni, how just his smile messes with her emotions. This helps to express the theme of recovery, that even though she may be denying the impact Malachi has on her, it’s definitely there. Two years after being a pregnant teen she is finally starting to recover and fall for this boy.
Abby wrote: "Acevedo uses imagery a decent amount throughout this novel to convey her themes. Obviously the author uses imagery when speaking about cooking, for example stating “ The chicken looks juicy, smothe..."I agree with this, Emoni becomes defensive and is afraid to let others into her life. For example, she says “‘Malachi, we aren’t friends. We can be friendly, but I don’t want you to get it twisted”’(Acevedo 84). As the book progresses like you said Malachi allows her to recover form her past.
Unconditional love for those close to you is an obvious theme throughout "With the Fire on High". Emoni loves Babygirl and would do anything for her despite the extra trouble she has to go through. Instead of resenting her for making it harder to balance classes and follow her dreams she always makes sure she is under proper supervision and is present as much as possible. Acevedo writes "For the rest of the night Babygirl is front and center, the candlelight we read the world by" (53). This example of imagery clearly shows that Babygirl has Emoni's and Abuela's undivided attention and without her, they feel lost.
We can see the use of imagery is prevalent in the beginning of "With The Fire On High". On the very first pages of the story, Acevedo says, "If anything, I'm on the verge of tears, since at this rate we're both going to be late" (5) and, "I nod and bite my bottom lip" (6), showing the high stress being a parent is. Especially in her case, as a teenager, going to school, and trying to live her dream as a chef to raise a daughter is no doubt a tough situation. The imagery provided in these lines reflect the difficulty of parenting. The theme of difficulties of parenting stay with Emoni throughout the book as seen, "The whole weekend when I wasn't at work 'Buela and I have circled around each other, neither one of us wanting to say that we miss Babygirl" (52). In this line you can really see the stress being shown by the pacing being done by both 'Buela and Emoni.
A theme that is becoming clear in the beginning section of "With The Fire On High" is knowing where you come from. In the chapter "Black Like Me", Emoni discusses how due to her exotic look, people often mistake her for other races but she reminds true to her Puerto Rican and black heritage, she isn't ashamed to be herself, "...I'm always defending the parts of me I've inherited from my mother...The same wisdom I whisper to Babygirl every now and then, a reminder of where, and who, we are from" (69-70) Even in these early chapters, Acevedo makes it clear to readers that familial history is important to Emoni, perhaps because of her mother's death or her father's lack of time spent with her as a parental figure. "People wonder why I...mean mug and carry grit like loose change in my pocket...everyone in Philadelphia reps their hood just like me...Where we come from leaves it's fingerprints all over us..." (87). This quote paints the image of people hardened by life's difficult experiences. Emoni makes a reference to everyone "repping their hood", she ensures that wherever she goes, she shows where she comes from.
Elizabeth Acevedo incorporates imagery into her literature to constantly develop the theme of coming of age. Emoni Santiago, a senior in high school, faces many struggles including not having present parents, therefore causing her to be raised by her Abuela, in addition to having a child of her own and not having a wealthy, affluent background. Despite these circumstances, Emoni is able to express herself through her cooking, being able to have her "...hands move on their own, grabbing and slicing and mincing" (Acevedo 92). Recipes Emoni follows represent life and the choices one must make, however, she seems to enjoy taking her own path, spicing life up a bit. As seen in Chef Ayden's kitchen when Emoni adds smoked paprika to the chocolate pudding even though that was not on the recipe, Chef Ayden states that it "...is delicious..." as he "...closes his eyes again as if the darkness behind his lids will help him better taste the flavors. His eyes pop open" (96).
Melissa wrote: "Unconditional love for those close to you is an obvious theme throughout "With the Fire on High". Emoni loves Babygirl and would do anything for her despite the extra trouble she has to go through...."In the chapter that starts on page 105 named "Santi", the theme you presented is clearly present. I do not know if you have gotten up to that point yet so I do not want to spoil it for you but just keep an eye out for the theme of unconditional love, no matter how rude or judgemental people are. Let me know if you read it/ when you do so we can discuss it!
In "With the Fire on High", the author conveys the theme of Emoni's internal struggle with not having her parents and uses imagery to develop that theme throughout Part 1. Emoni expresses a deep love for her abuela many times, however she also displays a deep disturbance in her heart over not being raised and cared for by her actual parents. Acevedo develops the theme with imagery when she writes "You can't make too much room for a father like mine in your life. Because he'll elbow his way in and stretch the corners wide, and when he leaves all you have is the oversized empty- the gap in your heart where a parent should be" (82). Acevedo's choice in words definitely makes the imagery pop out of the page, and it shows the emptiness and the ache in Emoni's heart left from her fathers absence.
Declan wrote: "The first part that comes to mind for me is when Tyrone comes to pick up Babygirl. Emoni describes it as "She blinks up at her father like he's a burst of sunshine sliding through window. I'm not j..."Yes, there is jealousy wishing that Babygirl could return the same attitude towards her like she did to Tyrone. She also gets worried, making sure that everything goes right and Babygirl is safe. She reminds Tyrone how to contact her. "'Anything else just text me..but I can answer during my break. And 'Buela will be here all day"'(Acevedo 48).
Stephanie wrote: "Abby wrote: "Acevedo uses imagery a decent amount throughout this novel to convey her themes. Obviously the author uses imagery when speaking about cooking, for example stating “ The chicken looks ..."Yes i agree that Emoni is afraid to let people into her life. Originally Emoni tries to close her self off from malachi after having gone what she went through, like you said, she's scared. But throughout that novel we see recovery really begin to happen. " I mean I know were not friends, or whatever" He smiles. The playful gleam is back is in his eyes" (107). Once again, Acevedo uses imagery to describe malachis character and highlight the impact that he is making. Recovering from her teen pregnancy is a process and and we can start to see the journey that Emoni starts to take on the path to recovery through the way she interacts with Malachi.
Eva wrote: "In "With the Fire on High", the author conveys the theme of Emoni's internal struggle with not having her parents and uses imagery to develop that theme throughout Part 1. Emoni expresses a deep lo..."I agree that Emoni struggles with the fact that she did not grow up being raised by her parents but instead her grandmother. Yes, Emoni loves her abuela unconditionally but a part of her is still spiteful about not having parents. Emoni expresses to the readers how hurt she was when her father Julio came to visit and then just packed up and left. Despite the fact that Emoni has that internal struggle of feeling like her father doesn't care for her, and wishing he would stay in Philadelphia with her and babygirl, she still truly loves and cares about him. When Emoni hears a storm is hitting Puerto Rico, the only thing that concerns her is her fathers safety. Acevedo states, " And thank god I called him this past Wednesday... I take my hurt feelings and fold them small, tucking them away in a corner of my heart" The author uses imagery to express the fact that yes, Emoni is still struggling with the fact that her father left, but the love she has for him didn't disappear, and she put her hurt feelings aside to check in on Julio and make sure he's alright.
Jonathan wrote: "When talking about imagery in the beginning of "With the Fire on High," the first thing that comes to mind for me is when Emoni tries to find her family's features in Emma. She includes details suc..."The theme you stated was strong family connections, however, I beg to differ. Emoni has a good relationship with her daughter Emma and her Abuela, however, not so good of a relationship with her father, who has not been present most of her life, or Tyrone. Despite this, Emoni's good character prevails when interacting with both Tyrone and Julio. Emoni does not hold any grudges against either of them, acting civil and kind to them. With her father, Julio, Emoni is kinder than I believe that he deserves. After leaving his daughter without a mother to go back to Puerto Rico, I would not have any love or respect for him, however, Emoni still calls him every week to see how he's doing and even checks up on him when receiving news about the storm to hit Puerto Rico (Acevedo 137).
Kyla wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "When talking about imagery in the beginning of "With the Fire on High," the first thing that comes to mind for me is when Emoni tries to find her family's features in Emma. She inc..."See, the theme I presented is that strong family connections are important to Emoni, not just that they exist. Clearly family connections are not as strong with all characters in Emoni's life as they are with Babygirl and 'Buela, but as you said, Emoni tries to maintain her good character with them anyway. In fact, using the example you used, Acevedo portrays Emoni to keep "trying [to call her father] and contacting hotlines to see if anyone had heard from him" (137). Emoni is shown to want to keep her ties to Julio, despite him never being there for her. To me, it all ties back to her desire to keep family as close as possible, but I could be wrong. Do you have any additional thoughts?
Jonathan wrote: "Kyla wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "When talking about imagery in the beginning of "With the Fire on High," the first thing that comes to mind for me is when Emoni tries to find her family's features in ..."I do agree that family ties are important to Emoni and see what you are saying. Despite that, the quote "' Emoni, yo sé, you have a lot of hard feelings about him [Julio]'" (147) and Emoni's reply "' I'll give him a call later and make sure he doesn't need anything", but instead she calls Angelica, seems to portray Emoni as not prioritizing her relationship with her dad, consequently not valuing those family ties as much as with others. Additionally, it seemed to me as a reader that Emoni was very uncaring and cold to 'Buela's statement.
Kyla wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "Kyla wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "When talking about imagery in the beginning of "With the Fire on High," the first thing that comes to mind for me is when Emoni tries to find her fami..."This is an interesting find. Perhaps as the story progresses, family connections will become less important to Emoni. As you have found, Emoni's refusal to call Julio could be Acevedo attempting to convey to the reader that she is changing as a character and family is becoming less important to her. I agree with you that she seems uncaring when it comes to 'Buela's comment, I just had not read up to that moment until now. I'm curious to see how else Emoni changes in the remainder of the story.
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Yes I agree as well with worrying becoming a theme in the book. The theme of worry can also be seen when Emoni gets her phone taken from her at school. This is when Emma is sick at school but Emoni can't respond since she had gotten her phone taken. Emoni says "Is Emma okay? Where is she? My phone... is still at school. Do you have her?"(253). Then Mrs.Palmer worries Emoni more by threatening to take have Tyrone take custody of Emma and this destroys Emoni because she has mentioned her life revolves around Babygirl.
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I also agree with the theme of the importance of parent figures. As you mentioned Emoni's father would drop in for a little bit then leave without saying goodbye, which had scarred Emoni's heart. This can also be shown when Tyrone picks up Emma for the first time "... Babygirl realizes what's happening. She's leaving"(48). This quote shows how much Emma needs her mother and how important she is to her. The jealousy also begins to play a factor in this when Tyrone finds out about Malachi going over to help with the anniversary dinner "I miss one weekend with her and you bringing other guys around my daughter?"(170) This shows his insecurity of being absent from his daughters life since he only gets to have her every other weekend.
Kyla wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Unconditional love for those close to you is an obvious theme throughout "With the Fire on High". Emoni loves Babygirl and would do anything for her despite the extra trouble she ha..."Hey Kyla! I did get up to that part actually! I think that it really helps the readers get a good sense of the kind of person Malachi is. A few chapters later where he comes over Emoni's house to help her cook he opens up to 'Buela explaining that his brother had been killed. This may also explain why he did not treat Emoni differently after hearing the news. Another theme that could be demonstrated by his character is that everyone has something going on behind the scenes that they do not show off to the world. When Pretty Leslie exposed Emoni about Emma that was not fair to Emoni because she should have been the one to reveal that piece of her life. She isn't ashamed of Babygirl but it is her life.
Declan wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Declan wrote: "The first part that comes to mind for me is when Tyrone comes to pick up Babygirl. Emoni describes it as "She blinks up at her father like he's a burst of sunshine ..."Another example of the theme of worrying becoming prevalent as the story of Emoni's life progresses is when she expresses that "...the fear you have for someone else's life always eclipses the gear you have for your own" (Acevedo 137). Emoni had become extremely nervous and anxious to hear from her father Julio or any of his neighbors as a hurricane was predicted to hit the country soon. Tying into the theme of unconditional love, Emoni still cares and worries for Julio even though he abandoned her and left her with her grandmother.
Stephanie wrote: "Acevedo connects imagery to the theme of being faced with constant challenges. Having a child at a young age, and trying her best to keep up her grades, as well as pursuing her dream of being a che..."Yes I actually think its quite clever how Acevedo also uses imagery associated with baking. Not only does this keep it relevant to the whole main subject of the book but I think it further immerses the readers into Emoni's world and mind.
Melissa wrote: "Unconditional love for those close to you is an obvious theme throughout "With the Fire on High". Emoni loves Babygirl and would do anything for her despite the extra trouble she has to go through...."I agree! Emoni's love for Babygirl is clear throughout the entire novel. Within everything Emoni does, Babygirl is clear in her mind. Emoni strives to accomplish her goals for Babygirl, so she isn't afraid to be anything she wants to be in the future but Emoni is also willing to sacrifice her won dreams for Babygirl's, "That I'd rather save my money for my daughter's college tuition instead of my own" (124).
Respect is always an important and vital theme in a piece of literature and life. Even though this thread was aimed more at the beginning of the book, I would still like to incorporate this theme into the discussion. When Malachi was first introduced in the book, he seemed like a player who was all about his looks, however, as Emoni and the reader got to know him better, we learned that he is actually a kind, gentle and caring guy. We can thank his mother for instilling respect and good manners into him as his Auntie Jordyn exclaims "' Just because your momma isn't here doesn't mean you forget what she's taught you!' But as quick as she frowned she's smiling and letting Malachi go" (Acevedo 240). Not only is Malachi a respectable guy though, but Emoni also has manners, a key trait that will lead her far in life, taught to her by 'Buela.
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I agree with the idea that the imagery immerses you into Emoni's mind. But I also think that the imagery becomes more detailed as the book progresses because Emoni is cooking, more and having new experiences as the story goes along. I've also noticed the imagery comes up more during important events such as "I begin scooping sweet-potato casserole onto ceramic serving spoons while Richard garnishes them with sugared walnuts and Spanish sausage"(220). I felt she went into a lot more detail than previously in the novel. What else do you guys think?
Declan wrote: "Sage wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Acevedo connects imagery to the theme of being faced with constant challenges. Having a child at a young age, and trying her best to keep up her grades, as well as pu..."I sort of agree with you, Declan. To me, the imagery definitely seems to enhance later in the book. However, I think that some of Acevedo's greatest uses of imagery are from moments other than when Emoni is cooking. One of the strongest examples I remember is when Emoni first kisses Malachi. Before the kiss, Acevedo includes a paragraph where she says "next thing I know, I'm arching up and holding his face between my hands. I place my thumb where his dimple would be if he were smiling. His hands move to my waist and I can feel their warmth through my jacket" (317). Then, during the kiss, Acevedo describes it by saying "His lips are soft...I step in closer, angle my head, move my hands to the back of his neck, and pull his face closer" (318). These instances of imagery let the reader know the extent to which Emoni embraces the romance of the action, and makes the kiss seem much more powerful than it would be without the use of such strong imagery. Examples like this are why I think imagery in "With the Fire on High" is greatest in instances other than cooking, but I'd love to hear some other opinions on this.
Sage wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Unconditional love for those close to you is an obvious theme throughout "With the Fire on High". Emoni loves Babygirl and would do anything for her despite the extra trouble she ha..."Emoni even considered how she could give Babygirl the best chance and opportunities possible even before she was born. The choice to name her Emma instead of something more ethnic reflects that mindset.
