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“The Leap” by Louise Erdrich Read the short story “The Leap” by Louise Erdrich. Then, reread the lines indicated with each question below. Answer each question, citing text evidence. 1. Lin... es 1–3: Keeping the story’s title in mind, what can you infer about the story’s theme from these lines? Lost love, survival, heroism, and family are the themes of the story. What I can infer about the theme of the story from these lines is that her mother was a surviving trapeze artist, but not her partner. It says, "The surviving half of a blindfold trapeze act is my mother." (line 1). The author tells you a story about your history and surviving an accident. 2. Lines 22–24: What is revealed about the narrator’s feelings about her mother in these lines, and how this might relate to the story’s theme? The thing that is discovered about the author 's feelings for her mother is she thinks she owes her so much more than anybody will ever imagine because her mom saved her from injuries several times. On lines 22-24 it says, "three times I owe my life." When she rescued herself, the first was. A replica tent pole, bent and splintered, now stands set in concrete in the town square. This relates to family and survival because she rescued herself and the author from her mother. 3. Lines 33–43: What techniques are being used to build tension in these lines? When she describes the weather as rough and unrolling, the methods used to build that intensity are to say something terrible is going to happen, the author explains it like this. It says on lines 35-37, "As temperature extremes meet, a hot and cold front, winds produce behind a hill instantaneously and fall on you without warning." The suspense of the writers in these lines means we still must expect the worst and be ready for it. 4. Lines 60–64: What is the “ending” the author reveals in this passage? The ending revealed by the author in this passage is that because Mr. Avalon died in this act, the trapeze artists will never again see each other. It says "Destined to never meet again" on line 62. The author says this because Mr. Avalon is dying. 5. Lines 70–74: What is revealed about the daughter’s feelings about her mother in this passage? The author believes that to even recognize her daughter is there, her mom is always wrapped up in the trapeze acts. Her mother had a troubled life, the author thinks, but she is a survivor. She also thinks that because she was a blindfolded trapeze artist, her mom is not afraid to be blind. It is written on line 73, "She is one with the constant darkness now, just as the air was her home, familiar to her, safe, before the afternoon storm. [Show More]

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