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How does the narrator feel about her mother?

One of the main themes in this story is gratitude. The narrator is indebted to her mother for her life. She is grateful that her mother (Anna) has even made her life possible. This is why the narrator says "I owe her my existence three times." First, Anna saved her own life during a trapeze accident. Although Anna lost her first baby in childbirth following this accident, saving her own life allowed her to live on and eventually give birth to the narrator. The narrator is thankful a second time because Anna met her second husband during her hospital stay. 


The "leap," first of all, refers to the actual leap the narrator's mother makes in saving her life during the house fire. This is the third time the narrator owes Anna her existence. To repay her mother for giving her life and/or saving her life, the narrator returns to take care of Anna. Anna's husband (narrator's father) has died and Anna has become blind. Anna loved to read. The narrator pledges to care for her mother and to read to her as much as needed. In this statement, one can see her dedication and gratitude towards her mother. 



Since my father's recent death, there is no one to read to her, which is why I returned, in fact, from my failed life where the land is flat. I came home to read to my mother, to read out loud, read long into the dark if I must, to read all night. 



The narrator makes her own "leap" in the sense that she goes back to care for Anna. The symbolic notion of the "leap" is about creating an intimate connection. 

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